Fox Leaves
by AyumiFallassion
Summary: What if the Kyuubi never attacked? What if peace talks with Cloud started much earlier? What if, Hinata wasn't the only one they were after? Based off the storyline set down by Lizeth.
1. Trouble in the Leaf

Alright! It's here, yet ANOTHER story started while I have, counts four others, and one that needs to be rewritten, but who cares!! This one is for the absolute COOLNESS that is Lizeth! Read her stuff and check out her artwork on Deviantart!

This story is based off of the cute pictures she drew of Kyuubi and baby Naruto, so you may want to check out her artwork anyway, if only to see where I'm going with this.

Not that I did all of it, Lizeth helped quite bit. Whatever!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Kyuubi, Minato, or the Naruto-verse in general. I wish I could say I own the plot, but Lizeth set down the basics for me with her cool and fluffy Kyuubi-Naruto pictures.

Fox Leaves

* * *

It was a quiet night when it happened. 

Dark figures infiltrated the Hyuuga compound, killing the guards and kidnapping the year-old heir. The only reason the village was alerted was that one of the guards managed to call out an alarm before his throat was vengefully slit from ear to ear.

The Fourth Hokage was in his tower office at the time, head bent over his desk and slowly getting his paperwork out of the way. He'd put it off throughout the week in favor of more engaging tasks, one of which involved saving Jiraiya from the wrath of the bathhouses. Again. Scattered around his desk were miscellaneous origami pieces, born of boredom and carefully folded in the process of procrastination. The entire collection would have been enough for a miniature paper menagerie, the little animals caged by steep rectangular mountains and barricaded by classified scrolls. The young Hokage smirked and shook his head as he looked at them: his secretary would probably chew him out for those later.

_'Oh well, bit late for her to even be here. I'll have to make sure to avoid her in the morning,' _he thought, folding a D-class mission report into a paper airplane; the Firelady's latest pet, lost and retrieved, yet again. With a sigh, he launched it at the door.

Only to have its flight interrupted as an ANBU materialized in its path, hitting the man's stylized panther-mask.

"Hokage-sama!" he barked, ignoring the assault upon his person.

Minato's head snapped up worriedly at the ANBU's tone, ignoring his embarrassment at being caught. "What's wrong Kurohyou-san?" he asked, standing up behind the desk. Rarely had he seen this level of anxiety from one of the ANBU corps.

"We've got trouble, sir! A Hyuuga has been kidnapped," the man reported tersely. "Nezumi-taichou and her squad are on their trail. She felt you had to be notified immediately."

The Fourth hands gripped his desk as a chill seeped into his skin. "Kidnapped? By whom?! Who was taken?"

"We managed to detain one of the enemy, sir. He is currently being interrogated by Morino Ibiki." The ANBU hesitated before finishing his report. "And... the one who was kidnapped-"

"-Was my heir, Hinata," Hyuuga Hiashi interrupted, a dangerously frigid undertone palatable in his voice as he stormed up to the desk. "Those honorless dogs have stolen my only daughter, Namikaze. I want her back."

The crouching ANBU stiffened at the man's open disrespect for the Hokage, but Minato waved him down. He'd never really been one for honorifics anyway.

"Hiashi-dono," Minato frowned, sliding around the desk to lay a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Hiashi-dono, don't worry, we'll get her back!" he promised, nodding towards the ANBU. Taking the hint, the man bowed before departing to alert the rest of the ANBU squads.

"I'll say you'll get her back!" Hiashi hissed, reaching up to capture the Fourth's wrist. "She will be back before morning, or I will personally close all the tenketsu points below your belt line," he threatened lowly.

At once, Minato winced sheepishly as he backed away from the angry man, squeezing his legs together discretely. "I'll go out myself," he promised. Carefully, he steered the older man into a chair in front of his desk.

"For now though, why don't you sit down, try to relax, and give us a chance to find little Hinata, alright?" he said calmly, passing the man what was left of his long-cold tea. Hiashi's fingers closed around the cup reflexively.

"Namikaze, how the hell do you think I can relax right now?" Hiashi snapped, only to notice that he was alone in the office. "...Idiot."

--------

"But Hokage-sama! You need to stay here!" protested a Chuunin, scrambling to stay up with the young man as he marched towards the door.

"There is no way that I am going to let these people get away with kidnapping one of our own. A child, no less!" the man snapped as he threw open the doors. He glanced back towards the stairs, and a wry grin jerked his lips for all of a second. "And frankly, faced between foreign ninja and a very pissed Hyuuga Hiashi, I'd rather face the ninja."

Outside, he looked back at the young Academy instructor as he placed a hand on a small seal on the side of the Hokage Tower.

"I need you to watch the tower for me. If any of the ambassadors from the Cloud show up, I need you to delay them until I get back," he ordered. After a second's pause, he added softly, "And sent someone to check on my son. Young Umino is a good babysitter, but I want to make sure they're alright."

Knowing that there was no way to reason with the young Kage at this point, the Chuunin saluted resignedly. "Yes sir," he said.

Nodding, the blond quickly went over the possible locations of the kidnappers. It was too much of a coincidence that this occurred the week that ambassadors from Cloud were here in Fire country to talk of a possible treaty. Thinking along those same lines, then most likely the kidnappers were heading back to Lightning Country.

_'Which means I want the seal in the north-east point of the forest,'_ Minato thought as he activated his jutsu, the Hiraishin. In a flash of yellow light, he disappeared.

Only to reappear miles outside of Konohagakure, kunai out, and ready to fight. Luckily, or unluckily, he was in the middle of the kidnappers. On alert, the man flashed into the Shunshin, weaving in and out of the mystery ninja like a vengeful wraith. The enemy barely knew what hit them before their comrades began to fall apart around them. One ninja watched in horror as the head of his partner slid from his neck with a sickening plop, blood spurting weakly from his neck as his body slowly crumbled to the ground. Too late, he felt pain in his own neck before blacking out in death.

It was only the work of a few blood-soaked seconds to dispatch the enemy nin. Breathing in, Minato flicked the blood off of his kunai before slipping it back into his weapon's pouch right as a squad of ANBU appeared.

"Hokage-sama!" exclaimed a woman in a rodent-like mask. "We weren't informed that you would be out in the field," she offered as she signaled for her squad to go at ease.

"Rest assured Nezumi-taichou, it was a bit of a, ah, spur of the moment decision," the blond said as he grinned at the captain. "Let's just say that Hyuuga-dono is very good at persuasion," he commented, a light shudder rippling down his back.

"To...sa?" a tiny voice queried shakily.

At once, the Fourth rushed over to the small girl, pulling body parts off of her. Under the pile, the young Hyuuga was trembling, her clothes soaked in blood and her pale eyes wide.

Seeing her, Minato smiled widely, trying to reassure her. "Hey there Hinata-chan, ready to go home?" he asked, pulling her up into his arms, ignoring the blood soaking into his flame-embroidered robes. Trembling, the young girl huddled into his chest, flinching away from the smell of blood.

_'So young,' _Minato thought sadly, _'and already baptized in blood. A__h, little one, I wish we could do better for you. For you and your generation.'_

"We should get her formally examined as soon as , we get back," Nezumi offered softly, peering over the girl as a frog-masked member checked Hinata over. One of her other squad members, a bear-masked man, inspected part of the remains of the enemy ninja, looking for village markings.

"Captain, look, these men were Kumo nukenin," he called, holding up the slashed symbol of the Lightning country.

"Figures. They've wanted to get their hands on a Hyuuga for years now," the woman muttered darkly. "But the gall of them to take the heir..."

It was a common practice among smaller villages for females of clans to be bred until they die, which normally wasn't that long in coming. If Cloud had gotten Hinata, the heir of the Hyuuga bloodline, back to Lightning Country she would have been imprisoned until old enough, and then constantly raped and harvested for eggs in order to create a new branch there.

Hinata would never know how lucky she had been that night.

The frog-masked man looked over to his captain as the glow from his hands faded. "She's good to go captain, just a few bruises," he reported.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" the Fourth chirped, rubbing Hinata's back as she squirmed in his arms. Turning, he loped in the direction of his village. "This little one's father is threatening Naruto with life as an only child if we don't get back soon!" he explained, sounding much too happy about possible castration to be totally sane.

Behind their respective masks, Nezumi's squad all rolled their eyes in amazing synchronization.

-----

In the Hokage Tower, a cup cracked, drowning flimsy paper animals in a chilled sea.

-----

It was hours later that the young Hokage was finally able to leave the office and return home, body-parts intact, to his young son. He hated not being able to take care of him as he would have liked, but with his wife Kushina dead in childbirth, he didn't have much of a choice.

"I'm home," he called tiredly as he entered his house, kicking off his sandals at the door. When Iruka didn't answer, Minato was instantly on alert, pulling a kunai out from his pouch as he stalked through his home. Quick looks through the kitchen, dining room and sitting room revealed nothing, but the second he entered the bedroom hallway, the familiar scent of blood tickled his nose. At the end of the hall lay a crumbled figure and a shadow hunched grimly over it.

Minato quickly flashed down the hall, almost attacking the crouching figure before recognizing him as a masked Konoha ANBU, possibly the very one he had ordered to check on his son.

"Hokage-sama," the ANBU acknowledged grimly. "He's still alive. Looks like he tried to fight too."

Looking down on the pallid face of young Iruka, Minato noticed that the boy was, indeed, breathing. There were slash marks on his arms, under his chin, and one across his nose, but whoever had tried to kill him had miraculously missed anything vital. The wounds had already begun to clot, weeping sluggishly in the darkness as the ANBU applied additional pressure.

Then the eerie white ANBU wolf mask turned forlornly up to face him. "Hokage-sama, I... I'm sorry, I..."

At once, a chill crept down Minato's spine.

"No. Oh please no," he whispered as he opened the door to his son's room with shaking fingers, his breath barely squeezing past the rising horror in his throat.

"Sensei!" the ANBU called._ "Sensei, please wait!"_

Inside the room was the cradle his four-month old son should have been sleeping in, but the little one was no where to be found. Trembling, the man inched towards the cradle, grabbing one of the small blankets that had been wrapped around his son, clenching it in nerveless fingers. There was blood.

There was so much blood.

"Naruto..." he whimpered, falling to his knees as he lost feeling in his legs. "Naruto, Naruto, Naruto..."

A howl of pain and anguish echoed throughout the village hidden within the leaves.


	2. Bloody Leaves

You people must REJOICE! For the new chapter is at hand! I promised that it'd be up by the end of the week. You're lucky though, I could have studied for midterms, but noooooo... I wanted to work on this. Out of the GOODNESS of my black little heart!

Disclaimer: The day I own Naruto is the day pigs fly out of my ass.

Chapter Two: Blood in the Trees

* * *

Out in the northern part of the forest, a young man was grinning as he and his team streaked through the trees towards their ally in Earth Country, their goal sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"Sleeping peacefully" after they'd drugged the little brat, that is. He may have only been about four months old, but he already had a good sense of who could be trusted and who could not. The second he'd awakened and noticed that he was being held by strange men, he'd started screaming with impressive lungs.

The man, named Kumote, growled lowly as he rubbed an aching, pulpy shoulder. The kid's screaming had alerted the Genin babysitter, and though not very strong, the young man had proven to be a ferocious protector when it came to the little brat.

"Oi, Kumote-san, don't fall behind!" the leader called, turning to look back at the much younger ninja. Growling, the teen sped up, closing ranks with the other three older Jounin, wishing that they were already out of the forest.

_ 'If I never see another tree again once we get home, it'll be too soon!'_ the young man growled. In his arms, the baby shifted restlessly, and he groaned as he tried to tap down his anger and annoyance. During the hour-long trek, he'd learned that the babe was sensitive to any type of killing-intent. Kumote's efforts were wasted though, as young Naruto seemed to be determined to return to the land of the living. Within the span of a few minutes, the blue eyed child was awake and peering around curiously.

_ 'Oh gods, please don't start screaming again,' _Kumote thought desperately as he stared at the kid._ 'I don't think my ears could take another round!'_ At first, the little brat seemed calm, and Kumote relaxed a little.

"Kumote-san!! Quit slacking off back there!!" the leader snapped again, annoyed that the teen was slowing them down.

That was all it took. Despite the young Chuunin's attempts to keep the baby calm, the anger in the leader's voice was more than enough to set him off again. Scrunching up his little face, Naruto began to howl.

At once, the quartet halted, holding their ears as Kumote struggled to calm the brat. "Nice going Nari-san!" he growled, rocking Naruto awkwardly.

Nari spat to the side of the path as the medic of the group, a girl named Raiko, reached to pull out another mild dose of tranquilizer. "How was I supposed to know that the little brat was awake?!" he snarled, hand itching to slap the brat back into unconsciousness.

"Calm down, senpai," Raiko soothed, wincing at the noise as she approached the baby, "I'll have him under control in a second."

It was their final member, Bofuu, who noticed first. "Boss, intruder!" he snapped, pulling out a short-sword. With a snap, the other three whirled around, weapons out as they started at the newcomer.

He was dressed like a nobleman, wearing an embroidered red kimono that set off the bloody color of his hair. Unseen by the ninja, the intruder's long hair covered delicately pointed ears. One hand was pressed against an ear in pain. On his cheeks were three slash marks, as if whiskers had been tattooed into his skin. Gold eyes stared at them as he cocked his head and an arched eyebrow at them. "And what was all that howling for?" he asked lowly, a rumble in his chest.

It was only then that Kumote realized the brat had stopped screaming the second that the man had shown up. The squad leader noticed as well, and his mind immediately concocted a theory as to why.

"He must be an ally of Konoha!" he snapped to the rest of his squad as he held up his kodachi in an offensive position. "Kill him, he'll tell them where we're going!" he ordered as he charged the man, bellowing. Taking their cue, the rest of the squad followed, Kumote circling around to hide Naruto in a tree before joining the fray.

The strange man watched the Kumo-nin with cool eyes, crouching slightly and waiting for them to close in. Then, in a blur of movement, he attacked, slashing with elongated claws and sneering fangs.

It only took a second for Nari to die.

Blood sprayed from an opened artery as he stumbled back, dead before he hit the ground.

The girl Raiko was next. She had managed to perform the signs for a jutsu, aiming at the strange man. Blue lightning arched as it streaked towards her target, destroying trees and foliage in its path. Calmly, the man held up a hand, letting the jutsu crash into it. The energy crackled and flared angrily, but the man didn't even move as it allowed it to run its course. As it dissipated, smoke wisped up from his palm, but there wasn't so much as a scratch on his hand.

"Impossible!" the woman gasped as he charged her. A kick to the stomach sent her flying into the air. As she fell back down, he slashed in her direction, sending what appeared to be a blade of chakra up after her. With a sickening squelch, it went right through her midsection, making it rain blood momentarily as her body separated into gruesome halves.

"BASTARD!" Bafuu screamed as he swiped at the man. The stranger dodged effortlessly, dancing back as Bafuu attacked, blinded by his rage. Seeing a chance, Kumote dropped from the tree he was perched in, trying to drive his kunai into the man's neck. Hearing him, the man twirled around, letting Bafuu slice into Kumite's stomach. With a gasp, the younger ninja fell to the ground, unconscious from the pain. Ignoring his fallen partner, the final ninja bellowed as he swiped at the man.

The stranger'd had enough. With a growl, he drove his hand into the ninja's heart, tearing out muscle and veins. With a thud, the dead body fell to the forest floor, signalling the end of the fight.

Growling lowly to himself, Kyuubi wiped his hands off on the grass, trying to get rid of the foul stench of human blood. Contrary to legends, he would have let them pass without a fight, if they'd only remembered to be polite, but they'd panicked and that was their doom.

A low crying reached his ears, reminding him of the reason why he'd been awakened. Sniffing, he picked up the scent of milk and innocent, young human flesh. Curious, he dug his claws into the tree the crying was coming from, and climbed up. Nestled in a crook of the branches was a baby wrapped in a yellow blanket. Blinking, the kitsune carefully picked up the babe, pulling the blanket away in order to get a better look.

Sparkling blue eyes peered up into his golden amber ones. The child was calm again as Kyuubi shifted to sit on the branch more comfortably, a hank of red hair falling over his shoulders. As he shifted, the blanket fell from his grasp, fluttering to the blood-soaked ground.

Human met fox for the first time.

Suddenly, the baby laughed, flailing his little arms and reaching up to pull on Kyuubi's crimson hair. Growling in response, the demon immediately held the babe away, trying to get him to let go, but the baby squealed and only tugged harder.

"Gah! That's _mine_, you little monster!" Kyuubi winced, carefully tugging his hair back.  
Eventually, due to the lingering drugs in his system or the stress of the day, Naruto tired of pulling the blood-colored strands and yawned as he started to fall asleep again. Grumbling, the legendary Kyuubi no Youko cradled the boy in one arm, massaging his sore scalp. Naruto burbled happily.

"Troublesome human," the fox rumbled. With a sigh, the babe shifted closer to his holder, a tiny smile on his face. Sighing as well, the demon peered at a small embroidered patch on the child's pajamas. It was a red swirl with three characters stitched onto it.

"Naruto, hm?" he murmured to himself. "Well, I guess you and I will be together for a while," he said, grinning slightly as he jumped out of the tree. "At least until I can get you back to your home," he said, walking languidly deep into the darkened woods.

Hours later, the ANBU from Konoha finally came through the area. At once, the squad, including ANBU Wolf, scattered to look for survivors. It was quite obvious that the Kumo-nin were dead though.

Practically numb, Minato floated through the carnage, distantly taking in the damage. The face of a young kunoichi was frozen in an expression of pain and absolute horror. A few feet away was the lower half of the poor girl, her intestines cleanly sliced from her upper torso.  
Several steps away, another man lay crumpled face-first in the dirt, a gapping hole where his heart should have been.

At the base of a tree, a small scrap of yellow caught Minato's eye, partially jogging him out of the haze that befuddled his mind. Knowing and dreading what he was going to find, he forced himself towards the tree. Picking up the yellow scrap, he traced numb fingers over the familiar swirl of his wife's clan. _'Naruto...'_

A low, bubbling laugh fully snapped him from his mind-numbing depression. Pocketing the bloody scrap, he turned towards the sound, finding a much younger ninja with a pulpy shoulder wound and a gashing slash across his stomach. Not immediately fatal, but very painful and guaranteed to putrefy from the bacteria and acid from his own gut. Minato, however, recognized the shoulder wound as something Iruka said he'd managed to inflict on Naruto's kidnapper.

At once, Minato pulled a kunai from his hip pouch, pulling the young Chuunin up by his collar, drawing a pained groan from cracked lips. "Tell me what happened to my son and I will kill you swiftly," he promised.

The boy, barely a man, grinned through the pain, dull brown eyes looking up into Minato's blue. "What more can you do to me? I'm dying already," he said, blood starting to coat his teeth.

Immediately, Minato twirled his kunai and thrust the tri-pronged tip up and into the younger man's ribs, biting fragile lungs with the sharp kiss of dark metal. As soon as the other man quieted, the Forth grinned darkly.

"I can drag this out for as long as I need to." He nodded at the frog-ANBU who had joined him the instant the Kumo-nin had screamed, the rest of the squad standing not far behind. "Gama-san here can and will bring you back from the edge again, and again, and again, even as you beg for mercy," he declared with frightening cheer. "So why don't you just make it easier on all of us, and _tell—me— where—my—son—is!_"

Coughing, the younger man spat a mouthful of blood in Minato's face. "Hell if I know," he groaned, then screamed as Minato switched the kunai from one side to the other. "Seriously, I don't know!! He was up there!" he yelled, nodding towards the tree they were under. At once, the wolf ANBU jumped up into the tree, only to signal back that nothing was in the foliage.  
The Kumo-nin continued, "We… we ran into this demon, he attacked us! When I woke up, both were gone!"

"There are no demons in our forest!" Nezumi-taichou snapped. "We would know if there were demons near our home!"

"There is no doubt, in my mind, that it was a demon that--- attacked us," the man gasped, having trouble breathing as his lungs started to flood with blood. "As far as I know, the brat's been _eaten_," he sneered before slumping back. He laughed again, spitting up more blood.

Eyes hard, Minato tossed the man away, letting the ANBU with the bear mask catch him. Wolf-mask silently reached towards his Hokage, but stalled. Nezumi shook her head as she straightened and turned to the frog-masked medic.

"Heal him as best you can," she ordered, motioning to the hysterical Kumo-nin. "He needs to survive interrogation. Hokage-sama…"

The darkness of sorrow was starting to seep in again as Minato took in the carnage around him. Swallowing bile, he leaned against the tree, anguished eyes falling on a single strand of long hair, glinting in the branches like crimson-spun spider silk.


	3. Hidden in the Forest

You people, I swear! I'm sorry it took so long to get this one out, but I had a horrid first week back. I'm just now caught up with most of my artwork, and I'm energized by the thought of Nekocon in a week!! (Woot!!) Would you believe that I have gotten NO sleep whatsoever?

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a transitional chapter. Annoying, but needed to get some personality traits down in the story.

Ok, I know Yugito Nii is shown as a blond girl with amber eyes, but this is my story! Besides, the colors of the other two known Bijuu didn't affect the hair colors of Gaara and Naruto, so I claim creative license.

The new creatures mentioned in this chapter are canon Japanese demons, mostly seen with other demons, such as the Tanuki and the Nekomata. For more information, go to You'll also find information of many many other demons as well.

Also, I was having a Broadway moment when I was working on the Nibi's personality. Only a little though!! (singing) Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat...

Chapter Three: Hidden in the Forest

* * *

Kyuubi sighed as he came up on his home, a small, traditional Japanese house hidden by kitsune illusions. Tiredly, he cradled the sleeping babe closer to his side as he slid the door open. "I'm home," he called softly, his voice rumbling in his chest. At once, he was surrounded by wispy lights, each with slightly different coloring from one another, and each bobbing around him like children begging for attention. If one were to look close enough, they would see cute, pixy-like faces within the delicate flames. 

"Enough," Kyuubi finally commanded, waving the Hitodama away. "Get something for this one to sleep on for the night," he ordered.

"I hope you have something for me as well, Kyuubi-dono."

The proud fox looked up sharply at the sultry voice, only to see that he had a visitor. Said visitor was lazily sprawled on his futon, almond-shaped yellow eyes looking up at him in daring. Her dark-black hair was done up in an elaborate knot, pieces loose to frame an attractive, heart-shaped face, pointed ears poking out from under her hair. Her kimono was dyed with blues and purples, depicting a cloudy sky. The front was open enough to begin to flaunt her chest, and the way she was sitting showed off her pale legs.

She smiled at the now-alert fox. "Surprised to see me?" she asked.

"Not really, Ni-san, you always show up when I don't want you to," Kyuubi grumbled, shifting the child in his arms. "Move, will you? This one's getting heavy," he ordered. Smiling, the cat shifted away, letting the kitsune put the baby down. Sighing, Naruto rolled over onto his back, sucking on a little fist as Kyuubi moved into another room. Mentally, he summoned a Hitodama for a new robe as he stripped off the bloody one.

The nekomata chuckled. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? We are not related, and I'm not a man," she laughed, with the ease of an old joke. She turned to look at Naruto, a clawed hand reaching out to caress a plump cheek. "Cute kid. Dare I ask where you got him?" She snifted delicately, leaning in closer to get full use out of her limited nose. "Doesn't smell like a hanyou," she remarked, looking over at him through the shoji with cool, slitted eyes. "And the gods know there are enough of them out there with your blood in their veins," she said as the fox returned into the room, clad in a yellow yukata.

"He's human enough, Neko-san," Kyuubi snapped as the other Hitodama returned with a second and third futon. Gratefully, the fox took one of the thick pads, but the Nibi waved hers off. "Take it," Kyuubi ordered, spreading his out next to Naruto's. "I know nothing of, 'Parenting,' and you know it," he groaned. He hesitated before forcing out his request. "I would, appreciate it, if you stayed to help me for a few days."

"Why?" the cat asked bluntly, sitting up. "You've never taken an interest in any of your bastards, so why a human child?" she asked. She sniffed the child thoroughly before snorting. "A child who smells of blood, steel, and other humans no less," she snapped. "You and I both know he belongs to a hidden village with this scent," she warned.

"A hidden village that probably believes he's dead at this point," Kyuubi argued, flopping back on his mattress, clawed hands folded behind his head. "And my 'bastards' are strong enough to take care of themselves. This one, Naruto, is not near strong enough yet," he said, staring up at the ceiling. "And for your information, you're smelling the ninja I killed on him. He's a toddler, not a potential killer."

"Can't be a toddler, he's not even a year old yet," the cat argued, letting the kid wrap little fingers around a clawed digit. Large blue eyes blinked up at her for a minute before the babe fell back asleep. She sighed after a moment, shaking her head. "Alright, I'll help you. But I don't know much about kits myself," she warned.

"Then I guess we'll learn how together," the fox retorted. "Now take your futon, and go into the other room," he ordered.

"Ah, don't you trust me, Kyuubi-dono?" she purred as she accepted the futon from the Hitodama that were hovering around her, standing gracefully.

"No more than you trust me," he snorted. He rolled over to face the doors. "And I don't feel like being pounced on tonight, so stay in your own room." Annoyed at being called out, the woman sniffed in annoyance as she retired to the next room, sliding the doors closed with a sharp snap.

Later that night, a sly-faced cat glided from her room, wearing nothing but the bindings around her chest and hips. 'Your ass is mine tonight Kyuubi-dono, whether you know it our not,' she thought, slinking over to the futon.

The second mattress was empty, but there was a strange lump in the first one, the one that the baby was supposed to be sleeping on. With her superior eyes, Nibi was able to make out a wolf-sized fox wrapped around the babe, nine tails twitching slightly as the little human shifted in his sleep, cuddling closer to the warm fur.

Blinking, the demonic cat couldn't help but smile at the sleepers. Shrugging, she hunched over, hands balling into fists as she mentally triggered the change, letting her youki wrap around her like a cloak. Within minutes, she had transformed into a large black cat, both tails waving silkily in the air as she wrapped around the two boys, eyes slowly closing as she succumbed to sleep.

Day break came sooner than the two youkai would have liked. Warm yellow sunlight filtered through the shoji door, striking the three sleepers. Grumbling, Kyuubi shifted in his sleep, turning his furry head away from the light for a moment before his eyes blinked open. 'What a night,' he thought, sitting up in order to scratch behind an ear. Putting his foot down, the pad brushed against something, and he looked down out of reflex. 'Oh yeah,' he thought as he watched little Naruto sleeping on the futon.

"That's right, I'd got a charge to take care of," he muttered in a scratchy voice. Smiling slightly, he crouched down next to the baby, caressing a soft cheek with his muzzle. The scent of blood and steel had already worn off, so now there was only a milky smell in his nostrils. Looking up, he whistled lowly, summoning the Hitodama. Mentally, he ordered them to get started on breakfast.

As the other nine whisked away, he focused on a small sand-colored flame. Sadly, he held out a paw for the poor creature to rest on. "So, no sign of your master yet, hm?" he asked. The spirit seemed to droop even further on Kyuubi's paw as the fox tried to think of where else the little creature could search. "Why don't you rest here for a while and then try the desert in Wind Country?" he offered. Nodding, the pixie-like creature blinked away, going to rest in the inner confines of the house.

Watching it go, Kyuubi sighed: the youngest of the demons had been missing for months now, and as the oldest and strongest, the little spirit had come to him for help. "Damn it Shukaku, where are you!?" he muttered angrily.

"Nyaaah... can't a lady get some sleep?" meowed a second voice behind the fox.

Freezing, the older demon slowly turned, shifting back down into his humanoid form as he did so. There, curled up by his flank, was the large, silky black form of a cat. "I thought I told you to stay in your own room!" he barked.

Yawning, the cat sat up, tongue curling behind sharp fangs. "I am in my room," she muttered as she pawed at her eyes. Opening them, she looked up at the fox, only to blush underneath the dark fur. "Oops," she murmured.

"Oops is right!" Kyuubi snapped, fiery hair standing on end as he growled at the demoness. At their feet, Naruto began to stir. "I ordered you to stay in your room, but you didn't listen to me! Did it ever occur to you that there was a reason for it?"

Nekomata snarled as she shifted back into her humanoid form as well, ignoring her lack of clothes as she stood up to the kitsune. Naruto, unnoticed by the two demons, was blinking as he looked up at them. "Oh don't give me a silly reason like, 'I didn't want to lash out at you!'" she mocked. "If you were that worried, then you wouldn't have been sleeping next to the kit!"

Kyuubi sneered. Naruto had scrunched up his little face, like he was concentrating on something. "He's different! He doesn't wish to paw me like a piece of meat, or a common whore!" He smirked as he looked the cat over. "I see you're still naturally dark. At this age, the others and I were sure you were starting to dye your hair," he said maliciously.

With a snarl, the cat reached for Kyuubi, ready to tear out his throat, only to stop short as a horrible smell wafted up into their sharp noses. Eyes wide, the two looked at each other before turning to look down at the source of the scent. Naruto smiled happily as he looked up at them, a proud air around him.

Smiling wildly, the cat clapped her hands, summoning a pair of red and black-tinted Hitodama to her side. "Well, best I go get some clothes on," she babbled. "And food! I best make some food, he's bound to be hungry!"

"Wait a minute!" Kyuubi barked frantically, grabbing Nibi's arm. "You said you were gonna help me!" he exclaimed wildly, forgetting that he'd already set his own Hitodama to start breakfast.

And I am! Do you want him to start screaming for food?" she asked as she pulled away. "Trust me, changing him is common sense, you'll need me for other things though."

As the cat disappeared through the shoji, Kyuubi looked down at the babe with wide eyes before picking him up, holding him away from him. Looking to the side, his eye twitched as the Hitodama set down a small table, large white napkins set on a corner. Slowly, gingerly, he placed the baby on the table, and started opening the little yukata.

In the kitchen with her Hitodama, Nekomata flinched as a howl of surprise echoed throughout the house. A few minutes later, as she was bringing out the food, she forced herself not to smile at the wide-eyed look of horror on Kyuubi's face. "It couldn't have been that bad," she chirped, putting down a bowl of rice porridge.

"You have no idea," the fox muttered, holding the baby Naruto away from him as he sat down at the low table. "He peed on me," he whispered in horror, wiping his face convulsively.

Hearing this, the cat couldn't help but laugh at the disgusted look on the older demon's face. "You'll learn to dodge," she promised as she quieted before holding out her arms for the child. "Now, feeding is easy..."

* * *

In my little world, Kyuubi has other little cute hanyou and youkai children running around. He's a kitsune, they're promiscious. They're infamous for that. It would only make sent that there were Kyuubi spawn running about.

And the peeing thing? Yeah, little boys do that. Trust me. My little cousin had good aim as a baby. Both of them.

Enjoy!!

* * *


	4. Fallen Leaves

_ Ok, I'm just going to say this now. There are no pairings planned at this time. The offspring of Kyuubi I mentioned are only plot devises. There is little chance they will come back into play. I can see an idea were I might use one, but it is tentative._

_ Nibi was only to help Kyuubi get the basics of parenting before leaving after a few days. However, I like what I did with her character, so I may bring her back eventually. That is up to Lizeth and I._

_ Everyone who faved/alerted my story, I'm flattered, but I can't improve if you don't review. Please do so!  
_

_ Prank ideas are most welcome. I plan to prank certain ninja, and a few of the Bijuu. The best ideas will be used, and the person who suggested them credited._

_Merry Christmas! _

Chapter Four: Falling Leaves

* * *

Minato sighed as he twirled a mission scroll between his fingers. Distantly, he noticed that he'd beaten his previous time record for this activity, but he didn't care. Ever since the incident with Kumogakure, he had been living for the village alone. Another war had been barely averted, but only through the death of the head of the Hyuuga Branch Family, Hizashi._ 'I hope Neji-kun will forgive me for that eventually,'_ the man thought. 

He sighed again as he looked down at his desk. It was much cleaner than it had ever been four years ago, but that was because he didn't care about goofing off anymore. Shaking his head, trying to clear away that thought, he turned back to the scrolls, scanning the trade proposition in front of him. The Land of Claw was interested in their weaponry, and was offering fur and fish in exchange.

As Minato started to write a response, a knock at the door alerted him to a visitor. Looking up blankly, he set his brush aside as he sat up. "Come in!" he called, plastering a fake happy look on his face.

Hearing him, the door opened as the ANBU Wolf entered in. Seeing him, the grin on Minato's face eased a little, becoming a little more natural. "Okami-san, it's good to see you!" he said truthfully as he sat up behind the desk.

The man shook his head as he bowed. "Okami-san for not much longer sensei. I'm handing in my sword and armor," he said as he pulled off the mask, revealing a dark eye and silver hair. He eye-smiled at the shocked look on Minato's face. "I've had enough. I'm getting out before I become a monster," he offered, passing the man his mask.

Slowly, Minato took the mask, the white porcelain face snarling up at him. "Are you sure about this, Kakashi-san?" he asked. When the young man nodded, the Hokage sighed as he passed the mask back to the man with a kunai. "It's up to you to destroy the mask Kakashi-san," he said slowly. "Hand in your sword and armor to the ANBU section of the tower, and shatter the mask there," he ordered.

Bowing, Kakashi turned to leave the office, only to turn back to look at his old teacher. "Sensei, are you doing alright?" he asked, one eye giving him a concerned look. Looking up at him, Minato slowly grinned widely before nodding. Kakashi though, was not convinced. He'd trained under the man for long enough to know when he was truly happy, and when it was a mask.

"I'm fine Kakashi-san, really," Minato assured, going through the scrolls on his desk. "I'm just so busy lately, I don't know what I'm doing," he muttered.

"Sensei," Kakashi started, then shook his head as the older man looked up at him again. "I'd like to appoint ANBU Weasel as the Captain of my squad," he finally said.

"Are you sure?" Yondaime asked. "Weasel-san has only been ANBU for a year. Besides, he's only going to hit thirteen in a few weeks."

"He's ready. Uchiha Itachi will make a fine ANBU Captain," Kakashi offered. Nodding, Minato turned back to his scrolls, making a quick note to send down to ANBU. Kakashi turned to leave again, but paused before opening the door. "Sensei, if you ever, just want to talk or something, you know where to find me, alright?" he offered before slipping out of the office. Minato smiled slightly at he younger man before summoning a secretary to give the note to the ANBU branch.

It was a decision that he would regret. The young man seemed to be alright as he started his new duties as captain, the only outward sign being the deep lines that began to carve themselves into his face under his eyes. Then there was the death of Uchiha Shisui, a promising young ninja, and Itachi's best friend. The interogation squad released Itachi, concluding that he had nothing to do with it, but no more than a few days later, tragedy struck.

He didn't learn about what had happened until well after the event. A pounding on his office door awoke him late that night, and he sat up sharply, a scroll sticking to his cheek. Disgusted, he pulled it off, ignorant of the ink stains on his face, right as a trio of ANBU members 'poofed' into the room.  
"What's happened?" he barked, vaulting over his desk.

The captain, the woman code-named Nezumi, sighed as she looked behind her. Standing between Kuma and Gama was a wide-eyed boy with a splatter of blood across his pale face. The only reason he was still standing on shaking legs was the fact that the Toad was holding him up. It was the distinctive fan mark on the boy's back that identified the child. "We found him wandering through the streets near the Uchiha District. What we found there when we investigated was a slaughter," the woman stated. Behind her, the young Sasuke shuddered and leaned away from Gama, swaying on his feet.

Ignorant, or just ignoring the boy, the captain went on. "The entire clan of the Uchiha was destroyed. The only survivor was the boy himself. We're pretty sure he's seen the culprit."

That was enough for the five-year-old. Stumbling, he jerked away and raced for the door, trying to get away from the adults. At once, the Bear grabbed him, holding him still as the boy flailed in his arms, trying to land a hit on the ANBU. Gently, the ANBU pulled the young Uchiha's arms back into a defensive hold, restricting his movements as carefully as he could.

Quietly, the Hokage kneeled in front of the young man, placing a hand on his shoulder as he stopped kicking.

"Get away," Sasuke muttered. "Get away, he'll come back, he'll kill you..."

"Who will kill me Sasuke-kun?" Minato asked calmly. "I can't help you if you don't tell me," he said when the Uchiha went quiet.

Sasuke shuddered as Kuma slowly released his hold on his arms, letting him fall into the gentle grasp of Namikaze. "Why? Why'd you do it? Why Nii-san?"

Slowly, Minato scooped the boy into his arms as he stood up. _'I'm so sorry little one. And I'm sorry I put the burden of ANBU Captain on you... Itachi.'_

* * *

Out in the forest a certain Sannin was on his way back to the village for the first time in months, unaware of the crisis going on in Konoha. Sharp eyes flicked from angle to angle, taking in every shadow in the trees.

Suddenly, a rustling in the foliage ahead of him set the man on alert, and he crouched as he pulled out a kunai. Before the man could do anything though, a bevy of small, flame-like creatures swarmed!! Yelping, the man swatted at them, trying to get rid of them, only to miss the sneak attack from behind. The last thing he saw before blacking our from the blow to his head, was a small green figure descending from the trees.

The boy, no more than five or six years old, grinned as he pulled a can of hair dye from his pack, passing it to the blue-tinted Hitodama.

"This'll be good," he muttered as he pulled out a razor and a can of hairspray. A green-tinted sprite tugged on his sleeve nervously, trying to get the child to move. Grinning, the child plucked the little Hitodama off his haori sleeve, pushing it away. "It's ok Itsu-mo! Just watch out for Hito-san, ok?" he asked, grabbing a handful of the ninja's hair.

Later that night, the same boy was sneaking his way through the halls of his home, hoping to get back to his room without getting caught, the Hitodama trailing after him like ducklings.

"Na. Ru. To!!" Naruto froze as his father growled at him, the demon thudding down the hall towards him. The first Htitodama, the red one, was floating next to his shoulder, as if saying, _'I told you so! I told you he was being bad!'_ As one, the other sprites scattered, leaving the four-year old alone.

Kyuubi frowned at the boy, pushing the red sprite away from his face. After a moment, he sighed, shaking his head. "I thought I told you to tell me when you're going to prank someone," he said resignedly.

"How do you kno-" Naruto paused as he looked down at his clothes. His previously forest-green haori and blue hakama were splattered with pink dye, ruining the outfit.

The demon shook his head, hiding a grin as he looked at his son. "You know why I want you tell me, right?" he asked, leaning over to look the boy in the eyes.

"To stop me from having fun," Naruto muttered sullenly.

"To keep you from getting hurt," the demon corrected. "There are dangerous creatures out there, and you're not strong or fast enough to get away. What if a ninja caught you?" he asked. Mentally, he ordered the Hitodama to start a bath to get the dye off Naruto.

"I know, Tou-san," Naruto muttered. The small bag on his little shoulders fell to the ground, and Kyuubi's ears twitched at the sound of metal clanging against the floor.

Curiously, the demon picked up the bag and rummaged through it, only to hiss as he pricked his palm against something sharp. "What's this?" he muttered, only to pull out a kunai. It was old, covered in scratches and worn down from being sharpened multiple times over the years. "...Where'd you get this?" he asked slowly.

Naruto shrugged, looking away from his father. "The man I pranked had it in his hand," he muttered.

Kyuubi's eyes went wide as he looked at the kunai again. The owner of said weapon must have been a ninja for years, if the wear on the dagger was any indication. _'My son has just pranked a ninja,'_ he thought slowly before stifling a grin. _'I'm so... proud!'_ he thought happily. Normally a father would be angry that his son had pranked someone quite capable of hurting him, but Kyuubi was a Kitsune, and pranks were a part of his nature.

"So!" Kyuubi chirped, a devilish grin stretching over his features. "Judging by your haori, the prank was hair-based. May I ask what you did to the man?"

* * *

It was few days later that the Sannin managed to get back to Konoha, a henge around his head to make him look normal again. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to fool the hokage.

"Orochimaru-san?" Minato asked in amusement. "Why do you have a henge around your hair?"

Instantly, the snake-like man glared at the blond before him. "There's a mononoke in the forest," he snarled.

Minato perked up. "Really? What it do to you?" he asked, grinning.

Thin lips pressed tight, Orochimaru shook his head. "I am not taking it off," he growled.

"You sound like an Inuzuka when you do that," Minato joked. "Seriously though, I need to see, in case you need to see the medic-nin," he ordered.

Orochimaru closed his eyes in extreme annoyance and drew a hissing breath.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Oro-jiisan, it can't be that bad..."

"..._Kai_," the snake-sannin grudgingly intoned.

"..."

The Fourth burst into hysterics as the older man finally released the illusion.

Someone had shaved most of the sannin's head, and dyed the rest of it hot pink. It was pulled into a mohawk to finish it off.

"Hokage-_sama_..." Orochimaru growled, his pale hand twitching over his kunai-holster.

Still laughing, the Fourth inched away from the man who had respectfully threatened his life.

"I'm sorry! Sorry!" Minato gasped. "Wh-why haven't you washed it out?" he asked, wheezing.

"I've tried. It refused to come out," the man muttered, replacing the henge.

"Well, go on home and try again," Minato ordered gently. "Buy a solvent or something." Standing, he walked with the hebi-sannin towards the door, then quickly turned to his secretary as soon as the Sannin was gone.

"Send for the ANBU Infiltration members. Tell them they need to get pictures of the Snake Sannin NOW. Use the chakra filters on the film, it'll be worth it!" he ordered gleefully, mentally cackling. _'That what you get for staying away from the village for five months!'_ he thought evilly.  
"Why? What's wrong?" she asked as she passed the note to a Chuunin.

"I'll send you a copy," Minato promised, calming slightly. "For now though, I'm going to go check up on Sasuke-kun," he said as he marched out.

The young woman sighed, but grinned softly anyway. Unofficially taking in the boy had already done much in improving the work ethic and social life of the Hokage, even if he had become a mother hen over the young Uchiha. _'Seems that even in all that evil, there was still a little good,'_ she thought as she turned back to her filing.

In the hospital a few minutes later, Minato grinned as he entered Sasuke's room, carrying a take-out bag from the Ichiraku stand.

"How you feeling today, Sasuke-kun?" he asked as he set out the food.

Dully, the boy looked up at the young Hokage, slowly taking the bowl from the older blond. Fragrant steam curled up around his face, shrimp, while the Hokage pulled out a Miso ramen, pulling the wooden chopsticks out of the bag.

Minato grinned again as he passed a second pair of chopsticks to the boy, pulling his own apart with a snap. Part of the left one came off onto the right, but Minato paid it no mind as he plucked a noodle from the rich broth.

"I had a great morning! You wouldn't believe what I saw today," he chattered, trying to get the boy to open up a little. When dark eyes flickered up at him, the blond released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding before launching into his tale of what had happened to Orochimaru.

It had taken five minutes and a quick series of henge for the Yondaime to get Sasuke to smile, and one more to get him to giggle helplessly. As soon as he was done though, he sobered, looking down at the bed sheets. Gently, Minato placed a hand on the boy's shoulder as he released the final henge. "It's ok to laugh every now and again you know," he said gently.

"Why did he do it though?" Sasuke whispered, unconsciously leaning into the gentle pressure of the Hokage's hand.

Minato shook his head. "I don't know why," he said honestly. He paused before plowing on. "Sasuke-kun, if there's anything I can do for you, I want you to come to me, alright?" he said, practically ordering the last Uchiha.

Before the boy could say anything, their lunch was interrupted by the arrival of an ANBU from Infiltration. This one was wearing a Hawk mask, and didn't look much older than Kakashi. "Hokage-sama," he started.

"Oh good! Did you get the pictures I asked for?"

"Well, yes, but..." the ANBU paused. "The investigation you ordered months ago, Hokage-sama, on the activities of the Hebi-Sannin... I believe you see the results," the Taka replied as he handed two packets to the blond Hokage.

Serious now, Minato pulled out the photos from the first packet, pausing long enough to pass them to Sasuke -- a picture of Orochimaru's new haircut.

The second packet contained photos of the man exiting an abandoned building at the border of the village.

The next one was the inside of the building, obviously taken from the rafters. It showed a shadowy room, lit by a sickly green glow coming from a series of tubes. Multiple pictures taken at many angles revealed that the tubes were filled with...

Minato paled at the sight of the bodies of children and toddlers floating limply in the oversized jars.

* * *


	5. Scattered Leaves

_All I got to say is, that writing Orochimaru seriously makes me want to pore bleach on my heart and soul. That's why this chapter's taken so long. (goes to cry in a corner)_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Scattered Leaves**

It was a grim Hokage that led the squads of ANBU into the abandoned warehouse outside of Konoha. Multiple squads were behind their village leader, all as grim and angry as the blond. Up next to Minato were the squad leaders, Nezumi, Kurohyou, who'd been promoted over the years, and the youngest current member, a Hyuuga woman code-named Koujaku for the sparrow mask.

Coming up to the door, Minato scowled before snapping his leg out, hitting the door. There was a crack, but Orochimaru had obviously reinforced the door. Leaning back, Minato kicked again. This time, the portal exploded in with a shower of splinters.

"Move!" Nezumi barked, leading the squads into the building. Eyes hard, Minato stalked after the ANBU, coat snapping behind him as he followed Taka and Inu through the area.

As they descended into the bottom level, a sickly green glow lit the room, marking the area that Taka had found before. As in the photos, the bodies of small children were floating in the unknown liquid. They ranged from the toddlers to three years old, all dead. Minato was unsurprised to recognize one little girl as a missing Inuzuka child.

"Hokage-sama!" Inu gasped, holding a hand up to stop the man from entering the room ahead of them.

"Stand down, Inu-san," Minato growled lowly, pushing past the man to storm into the room. Cells lined the walls, and a closer look revealed thirty plus bodies, the rest of the missing children. These were older that the others, from ages four to seven, and their deaths had been more gruesome than the younger ones. Many of the small bodies were twisted in agony, and some of them had roots and branches growing out of them. Minato's sharp eyes picked out the slight movement in the corner, and silently, he signaled for Taka to check it out.

Nodding, the young man used the Shunshin to enter the cage, and gently kneeled over source of the movement. "This one's still alive!" he called out, checking the child's pulse.

"Get him to the hospital now!" Minato ordered. "Send ANBU Usagi to look for Tsunade-hime. She'll be in the gambling towns outside of Konoha. Tell her she's being ordered back." Nodding, the Hawk gathered the boy in his arms before Shunshin'ing out of the cell again. Saluting awkwardly, the man raced out of the warehouse.

Vibrating in rage now, Minato stormed down the hall, kicking another door in as he grabbed a kunai from his pouch. "Orochimaru!" he barked, dropping the honorific. He no longer held any respect for the man.

They were obviously in a lab of some kind. Tables were scattered around with beakers filled with unknown liquids on them. Notes were lying on one table, and one sheet was being held by the snake-man himself. Smirking, Orochimaru folded the sheet up and slipped it into his vest before turning to the angered man before him. "Hokage-sama, how nice of you to join me," he simpered.

"Cut the crap Orochimaru. What the Hell are you doing here with these kids?" Minato snapped, blue eyes narrowed as a few more ANBU slid up behind him, joining Inu.

Orochimaru spread his hands placatingly, an innocent look on his face. "You should be thanking me. I'm trying to recreate one of the Bloodlines that helped to create Konoha. Too bad none of them survived though," he said. "Maybe I should try it with Anko-chan, she's _so_ much stronger than these weaklings were," he suggested.

"You won't lay a hand on Anko-chan again, traitor!" Minato snapped. "You are under arrest, for crimes against the village!" he barked, the ANBU behind him moving to grab the snake summoner.

With a hissing laugh, the pale man ducked away from the masked ANBU, long tongue lolling as he jumped over Inu, kunai in hand. Evil cackles escaped from his throat as he slashed one of the smaller ANBU members across the throat, effectively killing her with a spray of hot blood over his Jounin vest as she collapsed to the floor, thrashing. Twirling, the sharp blade went into the soft tissue of the stomach of another, ripping out flesh. With a cry of pain, Inu backed away, hands clasped over his stomach as he struggled to hold in his own intestines. Inu's teeth were gritted tightly behind the mask as blood seeped past his fingers. Orochimaru's tongue wrapped around the throat of Koujaku as he kicked one of her squad members away, only to release her as Minato attacked, trying to hamstring the snake of a man.

Smirking, Orochimaru jumped away from the blond, only to race for the door. To Minato's surprise, the man's body stretched and warped, like a snakes, allowing him to get around the Hokage before he could react. "After him!" Minato yelled, alerting the remaining ANBU in the warehouse before going after the man himself. "Don't let him get outside!" If the snake got out, he'd be able to use the Shunshin to get farther away, something that he couldn't use inside the building. He needed open space to get going.

Coughing, Koujaku eased herself to her feet in order to inspect Inu. "Hokage-sama, we need to get Inu-san to the hospital now!" she called in a raspy voice.

"Take him," Minato ordered before racing after Orochimaru himself. Too late though, as Kurohyou shook his head at the young Hokage. "I'm sorry sir, he got away before we could do anything."

Angrily, the man gritted his teeth together before issuing the order that would change the history of the Elemental Countries forever. "Inform the Hunter-nin: Orochimaru of the Sannin is now to be classified as an S-class nukenin. Orders are to kill on sight."

------------------------------------------

Orochimaru was smirking in triumph as he darted through the trees. Sure, his experiments in Konoha may have been destroyed, but he'd long since created other labs in other countries, including the Land of Rice. For now though, he planned on meeting up with Pein and the other members of the Akatsuki. After all, they'd been gracious enough to grant him a place in their ranks.

The Snake-Sannin sneered. As long as they were useful to his purposes, he had no problems with reaping the benefits of their membership. They were fools, but they were powerful fools. He'd play with them until they outlived their usefulness.

All of a sudden, the forest around him went silent so abruptly it was as if someone had rendered him suddenly deaf. Orochimaru slid to a halt, instinctively pulling out a kunai and surveying his surroundings for a hint of whatever was making the animals shut up from their various calls and general noise making. A sibilant mist crept out of the surrounding trees, wrapping around the path, washing a deathly chill over the man's skin. Slowly, making no sudden moves, he shifted into a defensive position.

**"Hunger..."** a soft voice growled from the trees, coming from all angles. Eyes wide, Orochimaru inched back as a spectral animal slunk out of the forest ahead of him. It was a fox the size of an elephant, red fur matted over lean sides as it eyed the Snake-Sannin. Of course, the man had no idea as to how to handle this creature, or even what it was. Konoha knew of the existence of demons, but not much after that.

**"This one smells hunger from you..."** it hissed, eyes glowing a demonic red. **"It makes me hungry... for the blood of a snake!"** it roared, diving at the man.

Taken by surprise, Orochimaru jumped away, trying to duck away from flashing teeth and razor-like claws, only to fall back against a tree. He threw an explosive tag and kunai in desperation and leaped for shelter.

Silence.

There was no explosion.

No sound.

Slowly, the man moved from his defensive crouch. He breathed out, hearing nothing but the pounding of blood in his ears. The forest was still unnaturally quiet, but the creature was gone.

_'Genjutsu? Who would dare..?'_

Gritting his teeth, the snake-summoner darted forward, intent on distancing himself from whatever it was that interfered with his escape. The air was laden with a level of killing intent that would've sent a lesser shinobi to his knees, and the sense of danger was growing by the minute.

**"Going somewhere?"** the voice laughed mockingly behind him, urging the man to swipe behind him with the kunai, only to cut through empty air.

**"Too late... You are already within my stomach..." **it growled, as the trees and forest shifted into oozing red walls, acidic slime dripping down. The walls pulsed, as if with a heartbeat, and Orochimaru's eyes went wide at they started to contract around him. Coughing, the man spat up the Kusanagi no Tsuguri, and frantically slashed at the walls before him. Blood and acid hissed and splashed from the wound, but it took a second slash for the muscle to part enough for the snake to slip through. Wasting no time, the man dashed through the forest, not bothering to take the time to look back.

Up in the trees, Kyuubi chuckled. His son holding his hands over his mouth to keep from laughing.

"Di- did you see the slime!" Naruto gasped as soon as the man was far enough away. "His hair!!" he spat out before falling back against the amused fox, clutching at his dark blue robe for support.

"It wasn't THAT funny," Kyuubi argued, smiling at the five year old. Giggling, the boy nodded against his side, before slowly recovering. _'Ah, to be young and find everything funny again,'_ Kyuubi thought, remembering some of the pranks he'd pulled as a kit.

Grinning, Naruto bounced slightly in his tree as he listened to his father. "Now Naruto-kun, it's always best to remember which roads are used the most. If you want a large-scale prank, go for them, and set a trap. However, if you want a smaller, more personal touch to the prank, the more secluded roads are better," Kyuubi explained, gently pushing a Hitodama away from his face. The fox had decided that if Naruto was going to pull pranks, he'd prefer that the kit knew everything he did.

"Also, if you have the chance, fit the prank to the subject. For instance!" he stated, lifting a finger and taking the air of a teacher. "If your subject smells like a certain animal, then that usually means they're a summoner. That man just now reeked of snake, and what does a fox do to snakes?"

"We eat them!" Naruto cheered quietly, throwing his hands into the air.

The fox bared his fangs and nodded as his clawed fingers flew through a quick series of seals, dispelling the jutsu. "Exactly."

"What, was that thingy you did with your hands?" Naruto asked, clumsily imitating the hand seals he'd seen the fox perform.

Surprised, the fox glanced down at the boy as he jumped down from the tree, son under his arm. Letting him down, the demon grinned, baring pointed teeth. "You want me to teach you?" he asked as they started for the house.

"Yeah! Then I can use that for pranks like you!" Naruto chirped happily.

Kyuubi chuckled again. "Is that the only reason why you want to know what I was doing?" he asked, then stiffened.

"Tou-san?" Naruto asked, confused by the sudden change in the fox's demeanor.

Kyuubi grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and turned him around in an efficiently graceful motion. When he spoke, his voice was curt. "Naruto, go home with the Hito-tachi."

"What?" Naruto protested as he was dumped on the ground. "But Tou-san you said-"

"Now, Naruto."

"Bad little boys who don't listen to their parents get eaten by monsters in the forest," a new voice spoke. "And you'll find some snakes aren't as easy to fool as your father would have you believe, little human."

"Tou-san would never let-"

"Naruto. Leave," Kyuubi ordered. With a dismissive wave of his hand, the hitodama converged on Naruto, who thankfully sensed his father's grim mood and allowed himself to be carted off in sullen silence.

"It's been a long time, Yoko-san."

At the sound of the voice, Kyuubi looked up to see another man, this one dressed as elegantly as him. But he knew very well that this was no man.

The other demon chuckled lowly as he watched the blonde boy disappear behind a veil of illusions. He flicked his long, braided hair over his shoulder. He was wearing dark colors, a dark gray kimono with a black serpent twining up his chest. Red, almond shaped eyes were the only points of color on the man. "So, the rumors were true," he rumbled. "You've taken in a human child."

"A passing whim, Yamata-san," Kyuubi answered curtly. Even as he said this though, the fox wasn't even sure if that was still the reason. He leaned against a tree as he causally draped his arms over his chest, claws playing with the rich blue fabric of his own sleeves. "So, what brings the Hachibi into my territory?" he asked, red eyes narrowing slightly.

The eight-tailed snake casually tilted his head back, baring part of his throat. At once, Kyuubi relaxed a little as the snake smirked at him. "I have some information you might be interested in," he offered.

"...I'm listening."

"The humans in the land known as Rice are growing restless. The ones we were warned about before are starting to gather."

"Do they have the numbers yet?"

"No, they number only six at the moment. They need at least three more. However, they have converged together, and are on their way here."

"That's still six too many."

The Snake snorted. "What can they do? Even if they did get the numbers they need, there's still no way they could ever hope to overpower us."

"Enough," Kyuubi barked. "We will worry about them if they increase their numbers again. For now, warn the others as you see them," the fox ordered.

The Hachibi gave a simpering smile as he inclined his head, giving as small of a bow as he could without angering the stronger fox. "Speaking of the others, have you perchance, heard from Ichibi no Shukaku lately?"

Kyuubi sighed as he shook his head, dark red hair flying behind in a wave of silk. "No, but I hope that the drunkard can be found soon."

------------------------------------------

Far away, in a land of wind and sand, a young boy sighed as he wandered the sand-strewn streets. His father was too busy to even notice that he had a second son, not that he had even cared before. The boy sighed again, clutching the small, stuffed panda to his chest as he tried to find something to do. His siblings were too busy to play with him, being in the academy. He did miss his uncle though, as the effeminate man had played and cared for him before dying on a mission.

Green eyes looked up at a sudden flash of light. A small flame was dancing in front of him, and he smiled shyly. As if knowing he was being watched, the flame, a light yellow the color of the dunes, bobbed in greeting before retreating slightly. It paused and waited, as if it wanted the boy to follow.

Happily, the boy trotted after the light, following it into the warehouse district. "Where're we going?" he finally chirped, not really caring if the flame answered him or not.

To his surprise, he was quickly answered when the little flame stopped in front of a warehouse, one of the older ones. Curious, the boy pushed the door open, and stepped into the room, the spirit flame right behind him. In the gloom of the dark, young Gaara gazed at a kettle that the flame was circling on the shelf, a kettle covered in seals.

Gently, the little redhead pulled the kettle down, setting the panda to the side as he peered at the seals. Some were intact, while others seemed to be unraveling, like ants crawling and marching off the ofudas. "What should Gaara do with this?" he asked softly, holding the heavy kettle up to the small flame.

In answer, the flame flew at his face, startling Gaara into dropping he kettle. With a crack, the seals gave out and the clay pot shattered against the floor.

There was an insane cackle within the cloud of smoke that arose from the shattered vessel. In awe, Gaara backed away, the stuffed bear clutched tightly to his chest.

Slowly, the smoke condensed, forming a young man with short blond hair, most of it pulled into a tail behind pointed ears. For some reason, he was dressed as a traveling monk, only he was missing the staff that most monks were like to carry. Yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as the man grinned, stretching and cracking his neck.

"After all these years, I'm finally free from that stupid thing!" he exclaimed, shuffling through the shelves, looking for something. After a minute, he grinned again as he pulled out an old conical straw hat, only to turn and finally notice Gaara.

_'Oh shit, did he see me?'_ he thought, smiling warily. Seeing this, Gaara smiled back at once, his face lighting up at the thought of someone who'll be able to play with him again._ 'Yep, he saw me,'_ Shu thought, holding his hands up in front of him.

"Hey kid, thanks for... er... This is gonna be our secret, okay? So, I'll just... be going now," he muttered, pulling the hat on. Slowly, he edged for the door, a twitch going down his spine as the boy followed him with wide hopeful eyes.

Once outside, Shukaku started for the border of the village, trying to ignore the boy behind him. Luckily, the border he was heading for was relatively unguarded, and he was out of the village before even noticing that Gaara was still following him. Eyes wide, he turned to look at the giggling boy.

"Why are you following me?" he asked loudly, trying to get the boy to stop. Gaara only smiled though, and Shukaku grumbled. "I don't have time for tag-alongs, kid. You better go home."

The small face instantly crumbled, and the boy shook his head no.

"Look, I'm grateful and everything, 'cause it was pretty sucky in that stupid kettle, but I don't like kids, okay? It's better for everyone if you just forget you saw me, get it?"

"...Gaara doesn't want to go home."

"Why the hell does Gaara not?" Shukaku demanded.

Gaara kicked at the sand. He tucked his bear under his chin and whispered: "Gaara doesn't want to go home because there's no one at home but the ghosts."

Shukaku did a double-take and stared contemplatively into liquid green eyes. "What, you can see them? Really see them?"

The boy nodded silently. "Some of them are nice, but all of them are very sad. They make scary noises when Gaara goes to sleep, and then everyone looks at Gaara funny, like..." The boy broke off, staring pleadingly up at Shukaku. "Please don't make Gaara go home. Kankuro-ni and Temari-nee aren't home yet. There's no one home but the ghosts."

"You're not shitting me, are you?" the demon warned. "There aren't many people who have the spiritual power needed to really see ghosts. If you're just talking about your pretend friend or something..."

The boy shook his head vehemently in denial.

The Ichibi sighed and scrubbed his hair in frustration. He patted himself down for a pack of cigarettes, then cursed when he realized he was out. He sighed again, muttering curses under his breath. The kid waited patiently, watching unobtrusively. Shukaku twitched.

"Fine. Whatever. I'll let you come for now, since I owe you one, but once we get to the next village, that's it. You're on your own," he ordered, dusting off his knees. "Got it?"

Gaara grinned shyly. "Yes sir!"

Shukaku grimaced, picked a direction, and started walking. Trailing a few steps behind, Sabaku no Gaara happily followed.

* * *

_As said before, I don't like writing Orochimaru. I can, but I don't like it at ALL. Don't expect to see him again soon if I can help it. Also, he was so easily defeated by Kyuubi because the knowledge of demons and jinchuuriki is very limited. They know OF them, but they don't know how to defeat one._

* * *


	6. Saplings

SUMMER VACATION!! What a wonderful thing! The sun is shining, birds are singing, and I can't see any of this cause I just got a new job at Walmart. Oh well. Hope you guys enjoy this one!

Disclaimer: Does it look like I own Naruto? If I did, I would be rich enough for life!

* * *

Chapter Six: Saplings

It was a few weeks later that a tired Kyuubi finally started to relax again. His talk with the Eight-tailed Snake had gotten him paranoid about the Ninja, and now that he thought back on it, that was probably what the Orochi was aiming for.

The Fox snorted as he thought about his fellow youkai._ 'The bastard,' _he thought, shaking his head slightly, lip curling up in an angry sneer. _'He knows I've only grown this strong by making a lot of enemies, and then he goes and reminds me of the newest group.'  
_  
"Tou-san?"

Hearing the little voice, Kyuubi blinked before looking down at Naruto, who was scowling at the demon. "Tou-san, what do I do next?" he demanded, hands still held in the last seal that he'd learned.

"Tora for the tiger, then hold your fingers to your lips, and use them to aim. You should feel a pressure in your lungs. When you do, concentrate your chakra there, and in your throat as you breathe out," the fox explained, moving to the side. He doubted that Naruto would get so much as a wisp of fire on his first try, but the kit had a habit of surprising him.

Not this time.

The boy inhaled, and just as he was about to release the flames, he sneezed, and a few licks of fire shot out of his nose.

"ITAI!" Naruto yelped, holding his hands over his abused nose.

Kyuubi chuckled slightly under his breath as he gently pulled the boy's hands away from his face. The fires hadn't been hot enough to cauterize, so blood was running down the boy's lip, and the fox shook his head at the child.

"Interesting technique," he chided, concentrating his youki at his fingertips. Kyuubi wasn't a healer (that skill was more the Gobi's strength) but he knew enough of the theory to patch up Naruto's sinuses. A deep red glow flowed over Naruto's face, and the boy's whimpering quieted as the skin knitted back together. Due to his lack of mastery of the technique, his youki was flowing into Naruto, mixing with the boy's own chakra, and unknowingly strengthening it.

Slowly, the boy was becoming more and more like a youkai himself.

Finished, Kyuubi stood up again, the glow fading from his fingers. "Feel better?" he asked, red eyes glittering mischievously. Sniffling, Naruto nodded, rubbing his nose before spitting out a small mouthful of blood that had leaked down his throat. "You want to try again, or switch to illusions?"

"Illusions!" the boy chirped, eyes bright at the thought of using the same technique his father had on Orochimaru. That and the fact that they were much safer.

However, the training session was interrupted by a loud grumble. Kyuubi raised an eyebrow as Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, we did skip breakfast!" the boy declared.

The fox shook his head. "Indeed we did, at your insistence," he reminded, steering the young human back towards the house.

"I wanted to learn! Besides," the boy pouted as he looked away, "no one's come down the path since the snake-guy. I wanna prank someone!"

Kyuubi blinked in surprise, but refused to show any other reaction as he looked down at the youngster. Every day, the little human was acting more and more like a fox. He remembered what it was like as a kit himself. In a random act of boredom, he'd used a natural glue to stick his mother's tails to the ceiling of the cave they'd lived in. She'd tanned his hide for that one, but it had taken months for her fur to grow completely back in. At this point, he knew Naruto was getting antsy enough to attempt something on him.

"Tell you what," he offered, leaning over to look his son in the eye. "After lunch, if you learn this new technique, I'll show you a village of humans to prank. As long as you're careful!" he cautioned.

At once, Naruto cheered, grabbing his clawed hand to pull him towards the house. Chuckling, the fox pick up the pace, striding smoothly after the boy.

It was a few hours later, and Naruto was doing well with the new technique the Kyuubi had demonstrated. This one was the basic of all Kitsune pranks, and one of the first a young fox would learn. Naruto was working on changing his form into a copy of 'Ni-basan,' and was doing a good job at it.

Grinning to himself, the fox leaned against the post of the wall, watching as his son dispelled the illusion again. "Good, very good," he purred, smiling lightly at the boy. "You've almost got it down perfectly." He cocked his head to the side, nonchalantly. "I think you might have earned a cha-"

He was cut off by a sudden sense of urgency from one of his Hitodama, the little red flame. "What is it?" he murmured, turning towards the spirit. A mental image flowed before his eyes, and he let out a bark of surprise. "Him?! He's coming here?" he barked, annoyed and relieved.

Beside him, Naruto crossed his arms. "Who?" he asked, slightly annoyed that 'Hito-san' had pulled his father's attention away from him.

Scowling, the fox held a hand up, asking for Naruto to be quiet, before studying the image for moment, his own natural curiosity as a fox kicking in. _'He looks rather worn out. Perhaps the child is the reason? He's never been a true fan of humans, so why is the child accompanying him in the first place? Looks almost like one of mine. Too young though, he looks to be Naruto's age.' _The fox grinned as he opened his eyes, looking back at his ward.

"Naruto, it seems that we have guests on the way," the Kitsune said, his red eyes glittering wickedly. Before he could say anything else, the youngster grinned evilly and raced off, heading in the direction of the kitchen.

Chuckling, Kyuubi leaned back against the frame of the door, waiting for the 'guest' to show up. He didn't have to wait long. It was only a minute later that the bedraggled man came out from the trees, a small shadow behind him. Kyuubi forced his grin off his face, scowling at the younger demon. "So, you finally show yourself to the rest of us, Shukaku," he intoned.

At once, the smaller youkai turned large eyes on the elder, whimpering pathetically. "Kyuubi-sama, help me!" he begged, using rarely-remembered honorifics to try and butter the fox up.

The fox raised an elegant eyebrow. "And what did you do this time?"

The whimper was louder this time. "It won't – stop – _following_ me!" he cried, pointing a thumb back at the small shadow.

Curious, the fox turned to look at the child. A small boy, about Naruto's age like he'd seen earlier. A shock of bright red hair spilled over green eyes, and the small bear in his arms only added to the general cuteness of the kid. He was dressed as a member of Wind Country, all sand tones, and when Shukaku dared to look back at him, the boy smiled brightly, making him shudder.

Smirking, Kyuubi turned on the Tanuki. "I see no problem," he said. As the younger demon gaped at him, the fox squatted in front of the boy, smiling as nicely as he could. "So then, who are you?"

The boy smiled again, showing a gap in his teeth where a new tooth was just starting to grow in. "Gaara is Gaara!" he said enthusiastically. At a nod from the older redhead, Gaara babbled on. "Gaara likes your forest! There aren't many ghosts, and it's much cooler here!"

"Ghosts?"

Shukaku cut in at this point. "He's a rare one. He can actually see the ghosts of those who've been killed violently," he offered, plopping down on the porch, fiddling with an old cigarette box he'd found in his sleeve. "He didn't want to go home, so he followed me. Refused to stay at one of the outposts I went through, and now I can't shake him!"

"He can actually see the ghosts?" Kyuubi asked, looking back at the Tanuki. "Truly see them?"

The young Tanuki glared up at the fox. "We went through the forest, and he described three ghosts a few miles back. Two men and a woman, about five years dead, and ranting about how_ 'it was supposed to be just a simple mission.'_ Know anything about them?" he asked.

Grimly, the Kyuubi nodded. "They sound like the ninja I killed a few years back," he admitted. Shaking his head, he turned to Gaara again. "Well, I should say that you are a special young human then. Much like my own son," he offered, smiling lightly.

Shukaku looked up at this. "Son? You have a son?" he asked, worried.

It was at that point that Naruto decided to introduce himself. There was a flurry of giggles, then Shukaku disappeared in a cloud of white! Coughing, the Tanuki stumbled to his feet, wiping frantically at his eyes.

Ignoring the raccoon, Kyuubi barked up at the roof. "Naruto! Recite Rule Number Three!"

A small blond head popped over the roof edge, grinning from ear to ear. He was in trouble, but it was worth it. "Never eat yellow snow?" he called.

"_Prank_ Rule Number Three!"

"No pranks in the house… But it wasn't _in_ the house," Naruto tried.

The fox smirked as the Hitodama pulled the boy down to the ground. "The porch is part of the house; it still counts. You know the penalty for breaking this one."

Naruto sighed. "I'll get the mop," he whined, grinning as he trotted off.

Smirking, the fox shook his head at the boy before turning back to Shukaku, who was still spitting out mouthfuls of white. "What he hit you with anyway?"

The racoon grimaced as he spat again, much to Gaara's amusement. "Tastes like rice flour," he grumbled. Said flour hadn't spread evenly, so patches of color were peeking through, but he looked like a ghostly priest. "Man, and I just got out of that stupid kettle. Like the dust wasn't bad enough," he muttered, trying to slap the flour off of him.

"Kettle?" Kyuubi asked, eyebrow raised as he mentally ordered the Hitodama to start a bath for the tanuki. After a second, he ordered the last two to make something for Gaara to eat as well. "Come in, you can get cleaned up as you explain," he ordered before gesturing towards Gaara. "We'll get some food for you as well, Gaara-kun," he offered. Smiling, the youngster wrapped a hand around Kyuubi's sleeve as the fox escorted the two into his home.

Naruto grumbled a few minutes later as he threw out a bucket of gluey water, finished with the mopping. Sighing, he passed the mop and bucket to the yellow Hitodama, who took it away. Hungry, the young human wandered into the kitchen, only to stop at the sight of the other boy. Gaara was sitting at the table and munching happily on a piece of cucumber, giggling as he watched most of the Hitodama as they prepared the next meal. Seeing Naruto, the child of the sand grinned shyly as he waved.

"Hi," he said quietly.

Blinking, Naruto grinned after a minute, sitting down across from the smaller boy. He scratched at his cheeks; they'd felt a little weird ever since his father had healed him, but he wasn't too worried.

"Hi! So, you're called Gaara, right?" When the red head nodded, Naruto just smiled as he grabbed a piece of cucumber for himself. "I'm Naruto!" he offered. Curiously, the little blond tilted his head as he looked at the other boy. "Where'd you come from? How long have you lived with that other demon? Which tail is he? Where does he live? Do you like pranks? What-"

"Naruto, let us try not to drive Gaara-kun insane his first day here with us," Kyuubi chided gently as he and Shukaku entered the kitchen, the raccoon in freshly laundered clothes, all traces of the flour gone. As he sat down next to his ward, the Hitodama floated over with a plate of inarizushi for the fox, and hanazushi for the boys.

Grumbling, Shukaku ordered his own spirit to help out, one of the other sprites bringing him a flask of masumi arabashiri sake. Kyuubi scowled as the Tanuki downed the alcohol in one go, a light blush dusting his cheeks already. "Go easy on those, I've only got a few of them," he growled as another one floated over towards the younger demon.

"Ah shut up," the smaller youkai grumbled, leaning on the table as he started on the second flask. "I've had a stressful past fifty years, ok? Let me get drunk in peace," he muttered, ignoring the giggles from the boys.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Kyuubi asked, curling claws around his chopsticks, as if intending to stab the younger demon, despite how uncouth it would be.

"Rather not in front of the cubs," Shukaku muttered, motioning towards Naruto and Gaara, who were watching the two demons as they munched on the hanazushi.

Sighing, the fox summoned a pair of Hitodama, the red and the small yellow flames bobbing happily next to the boys. Naruto scowled slightly at the red sprite; he was the one that always tattled on him to Kyuubi. The yellow one was one of the younger ones though, and she tended to help the young human during pranks.

Kyuubi stared at the two sprites, there impish faces peering up at him from within their flames. "Take these two to the village nearby, and show them the secret way in. Stay out of sight, but keep them out of trouble," he ordered, much to Naruto's glee. He turned to look at the boys, and raised an eyebrow at what they were wearing. "May I suggest that you loan Gaara-kun something else to wear before you leave though," he ordered gently.

"Of course Tou-san!" Naruto chirped, jumping up and dragging the young sand boy after him.

"Well, now that they're gone," Kyuubi grinned slightly after the boys before turning to the Tanuki. "Mind telling me how you were trapped for the past fifty years? Or why you came to my province instead going to your own?" he asked, completely serious.

The raccoon sighed as he took another long pull of the sake. "I can't go back," he muttered, saddened and angered at the thought. "The humans took my province while I was trapped in that kettle." He gritted his teeth as claws sank into the clay of the sake bottle, cracks forming as he took the last swallow. "I am not stupid enough to try and take out an entire ninja village, especially the same one that trapped me in the first place!" He slammed the bottle into the table, destroying it. The raccoon ignored the ceramic shards that were imbedded in his hand as he snarled at the world.

The fox gave Shukaku a worried look, not for his injuries, but because of the unsettling news. "They've taken your province?" he asked softly.

"Most of it, including my home," the younger youkai snarled. Opening his hand, he stared as the blood dripped down his palm, the shards sticking out of the skin. "The humans turned it into an outpost at the edge of their territory," he said mournfully. He sniffled. "All my porn, gone!" he cried, only slightly serious.

The fox gave him a perplexed look before shaking his head. "And how were you captured?"

"I don't know." He looked up to see the older demon glare at him. "Seriously, I can't remember!" The younger demon shook his head, absently playing with one of the shards in his palm. "All I really remember is the pain from the first ten years, then everything went numb. 'Bout a year ago, I started sensing things outside of the kettle again, but I wasn't able to do anything 'till the kid broke the seal," he exclaimed.

The fox shook his head before grabbing the raccoon's hand. "Look, you can stay here for a while," he offered, pulling the ceramic shards from the younger man's palm. "All I ask though, is that you lay off the sake a little, alright?" he scolded mildly.

Sighing, the young youkai shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but you can't keep me from my alcohol," he muttered.

Kyuubi's eyes narrowed as he set aside the last shard from the raccoon's hand. At his mental summon, the green Hitodama brought him a paper fan. Narrow fingers wrapped around the paper weapon as the fox raised an eyebrow at the tanuki. "Well, as long as you are living under my roof, we shall work on a few habits of yours that are, shall we say, lacking," he stated.

"What the Hell?"

THFAP!

"OW! What the FUCK was that for?!" Shukaku exclaimed, holding his head.

"What would have been proper would have been, 'what do you mean?' Not 'what the Hell?'"

"I'll talk the damn way I want to!"

THFAP!!

"Ow! Stop it, Slap-happy!"

_THFAP!!_

"I can keep this up all day, Shukaku-san."

"Dammit, so can I, bushy-tail!"

THFAP-A-THFAP!!

"...How the Hell did you just hit me twice in the same swing?"

"Kitsune secret. Are you going to cooperate?"

"Like Hell!"

"As you wish."

THFAP!

* * *

I suggest you guys look up the Sake and sushi I just mentioned. All are quite delicious.

Till later!!


	7. Wind Dancing Leaves

Ok, you know what? I have no excuse anymore. The real world sucks, rent sucks, school sucks, my job in the pizza line of the cafe SUCKS and writer's block sucks SO HARD. But I finally have it!! Enjoy.

This is the unbetaed version, I'll be reposting this after Lizeth finishes on her end. I'm just going crazy over here.

Um, no offense to Kishimoto, but I'm gonna stick to the canon of the original legendary beasts and keep the Hachibi as a snake/dragon thing, not a bull/octopus thing.

And for the record, I was so tempted at one point to have Naruto say, "But Gaara is a Good Boy." But I restrained myself. You can thank me later.

Don't expect anything new till after Nekocon. If you're going, tell me, I'd love to meet you guys. If you want to find me, just go to the Karaoke event on Friday night, I'm a host. I'll be the one in the Haku and Temari costumes.

Disclaimer: I can barely afford to feed my cat and myself. Hell will freeze before I can afford the rights to Naruto.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Wind-Dancing Leaves

The boys giggled as they followed the dancing flames through the forest. Naruto had changed into a bright orange Yukata, and young Gaara was in a red yukata with black designs. Hito-san seemed to have taken to Gaara, while the little yellow one was sticking with the fox-child. Naruto had already dubbed this one Kokono-ka.

"Is it much further?" Gaara asked as they climbed over a log, following the brighter boy. They'd been following the Hitodama for the past twenty miles, the young sand-child being carried by the sprites when he got tired. Naruto, used to stalking the forest with his 'Tou-san,' had more stamina than the newest member to the demonic family.

"I don't think so, look!" Naruto chirped, pointing at a point of the forest. The trees had dissolved away a little bit ahead of them, and what seemed to be a wall of white stone loomed up ahead of them. The youngster turned to Kokono-ka, excited. "Is that the village Tou-san was talkin' about?" he chirped. He cheered when the yellow flame bobbed up and down. "Come on, show us in then!!"

...

Up at the entrance of Konohagakure, Kotetsu sighed as he leaned against his desk, bored out of his mind. _'I had to get guard duty on the Second War Festival,'_ he thought grumpily, leaning up to inspect the passes of a caravan from another minor village. _'While all the other Shinobi get to have a little fun, I'm stuck here with Izumo-kun, taking care of all these, these tourists!'_ He sighed again as the caravan passed, smiling at the little kids who ran screaming passed into the ninja village.

"Hey, at least we don't have to deal with them."

Kotetsu chuckled as his partner waltzed back up to the booth, holding a plate full of yakitori that he'd ninja'd away from one of the stands in town. "Yeah, I know. I just wish that I could be in there anyway. It'd be more fun than checking paperwork and passports," he said as he took a stick.

The bandaged ninja shrugged as he helped himself to a stick of chicken as well. "I understand why the Hokage needs us to be here, but still, nothing happens during festivals!" he insisted. Unknown to the two Chuunin, two little boys had snuck through a hole in the wall. They had popped up right behind the booth, only to duck away and sneak in with the caravan.

Naruto blinked a few minutes later as he and Gaara ducked away from the tourists. "…I thought that would be harder," he said to his friend as they wandered towards the center of the village.

Gaara frowned as he tried to remember about his village. "Gaara thinks it's a festival. Gaaras' village was always more relaxed during festivals," he thought out loud.

"Festival? Like a party?"

"Yeah!"

Naruto grinned wildly. "Then let's go have some fun!"

…………………….

"But, I don't think I want to…"

Minato grinned as he shook his head at the little Uchiha. "Come on Sasuke-kun, I know you don't wanna stay with an old fogey like me for the whole day," he joked, helping the kid with his yukata. The Hokage had officially adopted the youngster, although he hadn't been planning to, and had been trying to help him get over the death of his family. He was also planning on training the boy later in his life, but he wasn't going to tell him that just yet.

Sasuke frowned as he held his arms out, letting the Hokage tie his obi. The little Uchiha was in a dark blue yukata with his family crest on the back, held together with a white obi. A small hawk in white was printed on his sleeve. "Do I have to?" he asked softly.

"Of course! You'll have fun, I promise! I'm not gonna kick you out of my shadow, but you should just go and play with some of the other kids," he said, giving the boy's obi a small tug as he secured the ends. The young leader wasn't in a yukata like the Uchiha, but his coat was freshly pressed, and his headband brightly polished. "Besides, I was planning on meeting up with a few of the Elders, and you don't want to be stuck with me in a boring meeting, do you?" he asked, only to chuckle at the disgusted look on the boy's face. Sasuke may have only been living with Minato for a few weeks, but he knew well enough how annoying said meetings were by now.

The boy sighed deeply before nodding. "Alright," he said in a small voice, pulling on his geta sandals.

Minato grinned as the two exited the apartment. "I'll catch up with you later, ok?" He pointed towards another child, one in a brown and green forest-printed yukata. He looked bored as his mom pulled his short hair up into a ponytail, flinching every now and then when he thought she was pulling too hard. "Why don't you go play with Shikamaru-kun over there?" he suggested, giving the kid a small push towards the Nara pair.

Rolling his eyes, the boy nodded before running off after the Nara. With a sigh, Minato turned towards the Hokage Tower, bracing himself for a long day.

In a different part of the village square, a young girl sighed as she wandered around the booths. Her father was busy with the other Elders, and one of the other members of her clan was taking care of her new-born sister, as her mother was still not feeling too well. So, she had left the compound alone after getting her cousin to promise to join her later.

The girl sighed again as she twisted her hands in her yukata, a pretty midnight blue with a wave pattern background. The obi was a pale silver blue, matching her eyes. She was nervous being alone, despite the fact that there were other clan members nearby.

Movement from the corner of her eyes made her turn her head. A small mask was being pulled off a booth by an equally small hand. The owner of the booth was at the back of the small stand, wrestling with a box from the back of the cart. Even as she watched, the mask disappeared down towards the hand, only for a second mask to join the first a few seconds later.

Curious, the little girl snuck over towards the booth, trying to see who was stealing masks. Peeking around the stand, she blinked at the site of two boys her age, one of whom was holding the pilfered masks.

"Come on, we don't want to get caught with these Gaara-kun!"

"Gaara doesn't think we should just steal these though…"

"But they were just lying out there! He was just asking for us to take them!"

Leaning out a little further, Hinata squeaked as she lost her balance, falling flat on her face. As one, the two boys turned to look at her, both with a wary look on their faces. The one boy had almost the look of a wild creature. The boy in the red and black yukata though, had the look of someone who knows that he's about to be turned away.

Slowly, Hinata pushed herself to her knees, pale eyes wide as she stared at the strange boys. Her eyes were drawn to the one boy, bright and sunny, as he crawled towards the girl. Bright blue eyes stared into hers as he muttered, "Pretty…."

"Hey, what're you kids doing?!" As one, the three children turned to look up at the man, who had returned to the booth, only to notice the stolen masks.

The blond boy grinned widely as he turned to his companions. "Run for it!!" he barked as he dashed off, Gaara and Hinata a few steps behind him. Rolling his eyes, the man sighed; that's what he got by coming into a ninja village.

Giggling, Naruto ducked behind a building, Gaara and Hinata right behind him. Grinning, the little boy leaned back against the wall, stolen masks in hand. "That was fun!" he said, passing a stylized Tanuki mask to Gaara, pulling a smiling fox mask over his own face. Surprisingly, there was third mask in the blonde's hand, and he smiled at Hinata behind the plastic mask as he handed it to the young Hyuuga. A bird looked up at the girl, and she blinked at the sight of it; she hadn't seen the boy steal this one.

"So, what are we going to do?" the redhead- no, he'd called himself Gaara- asked quietly.

Hinata could sense the grin as the blond turned towards his friend. The mask seemed to gleam mischievously in the dying sunlight, and the boy giggled. "We came here to have fun, right? So, let's go and prank someone!" he declared, thrusting a tiny fist in the air.

…………………...

Kakashi twitched as he turned a corner, eye looking up from his newest trademark; the orange novel still had that crispness you get with a new book. Ever since the sun went down, he'd been getting the feeling that he was being followed, and even now, as he turned towards the middle of the festival, that feeling only got stronger.

Since leaving the ANBU Corps, the years had been a little more kind to the eighteen-year old. Do a few high-rank missions, visit his old Sensei and the older man's ward when he had a day off, go to the Memorial Stone, train, and show up to meetings as late as he dared. Yeah, life was good.

Still, just because he had left the ranks doesn't mean that his skills had diminished. If anything, paranoia made him even more of a threat. It meant that he was jumping at shadows, and becoming a threat towards cats, mice, and small children dwelling within.

A scratching sound from the roof; the young Jounin twitched violently towards the roof, hand reaching for a kunai. Even as he twirled, something wet and sticky splatted against the back of his head, drenching his sliver hair. Blinking, the Jounin reached up to touch, only for a cloud of feathers to explode over his sticky spikes. Annoyed, he turned to look in a window, to see that he'd been honey'n feathered. He looked like a chicken had exploded on him.

Gingerly, he reached up to pull at a feather, only to hiss in pain. It wasn't honey; it was Ninja Crazy Glue. The kind they use with exploding notes. He sighed as he released the feather. Looking up at the roof, he sighed. Only a small child could fit up there. "I need to train more," he muttered before heading towards his apartment for a much-needed shower.

Up on the roof, the trio were laughing, surprised that they'd pulled that off. Naruto grinned as he looked over at Hinata. "Thanks for helping us get that glue!"

Gaara couldn't help but grin as well. "Gaara thinks it was a great idea to raid that chicken stand too!" he giggled.

Hinata smiled from behind the bird mask, timidly playing with a feather. "I, I've never done anything like this before," she admitted softly.

"Gaara hasn't either," the young Suna-nin chirped. "But Gaara wishes he had before this!" The raccoon mask smirked as the boy pulled a few things from his sleeve; a handful of large glass marbles. Naruto remembered them from his room back at the compound. "Gaara thinks we should go do some more!!"

………………………………….

It was a few hours later that Minato found himself wandering the festival, sighing as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trench coat. It had been a long and pointless meeting, with the elders getting in the way of all the more important issues. And then, there had been the old relic that was Danzo. The old man may be as sly and subtle as a fox, but it was obvious that he was following his own plan. The war-hawk had wanted the position as Hokage, but his injuries had dropped him from the running.

Minato shook his head, banishing the old man from his thoughts. _'This is supposed to be a happy event! I need to ignore them for now before I go crazy,'_ he mused.

One last detail ran through his mind as he watched a few children running around, playing with each other. Hiashi had confided in him with his worries for his wife. The delicate Hyuuga women had just given birth to a second daughter, baby Hanabi, but the current medic-nin at the hospital were proficient in field-dressing type medicine, not the delicate healing needed for a birth. The few proficient medics had been knocked from the ranks, either due to field work, or retirement. One had even been recalled into the Oi-nin. As for Tsunade, she had helped to heal the boy from Orochimaru's lair, and then retreated to her life of drunken gambling.

The young Hokage sighed as he turned to a dango stand, only to stop as he noticed one child tripping, falling hard on his front. Minato couldn't tell who the kid was; the fox mask completely covered his face.

Minato grinned at the boy as he kneeled in front of the boy, ready to offer him a hand up. The boy though, shrugged off the hand, groaning as he pulled the mask away. Bright blue eyes were squinted as he rubbed a sore nose, faint marks on his cheeks. But it was the grin, the same one that reflected back at him in the mirror in the morning that startled the man so greatly.

Minato was so startled, that he barely moved as another boy called out, provoking the little blond into flight. The world seemed to slow as the Hokage turned, only to gasp lowly as the two boys seemed to disappear into the dark, a third child following them.

The blond collapsed back against the wall, head spinning in shock_. 'It, can't have been…'_

"What's the matter sensei?" Kakashi asked as he waltz up, an illusion around his hair; the glue was proving hard to get out. "You look like you've seen a ghost-- Sensei?"

Inexplicable tears were forming behind bright blue eyes as Yondaime blinked up at the young Jounin. "Kakashi-kun, I think I'm going insane. I swear, I just saw a kid, that could have been my son…" He shook his head. "I thought, that I just saw Naruto again."

…………………………………..

In the alley, Naruto gasped for a breath as he and Gaara looked back at the older blond. As Hinata raced up, Gaara grabbed Naruto by the arm, pulling on him. "Come on, we gotta go!" he insisted.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked, pulling her mask off so she could be heard clearly.

Gaara looked up at the young Hyuuga, eyes wide behind the Tanuki mask. "That's the Yellow Flash! Gaara's father used to tell Gaara stories about him! That he would come and take Gaara away in the middle of the night if Gaara was a bad boy!"

Hinata started to disagree with the young Suna-nin, but Naruto cut her off. "No, he's right, we should go. There's something about him that makes me feel strange," he said, biting his lip as he played with the mask in his hands.

"Go? But, but when can I see you again? Where do you live? And why haven't I ever seen you before?" Hinato asked, fiddling her fingers together nervously.

Naruto paused as he turned to smile at the young girl. "Don't worry, I know where this place is now, I'll come back to see you again," he declared, holding his hand out in a fist.

Pale eyes looked up from her hands. "Promise?"

Naruto did even better than just saying yes; he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before grinning again. "I promise! Just watch for us, ok?"

Hinata could only blush as she watched the pair turn as run towards the forest, a pair of bobbing lights appearing next to their heads as they melted into the shadows of the forest of Fire Country.


	8. Healing Poultice

Chapter Eight: Healing Poultice

* * *

"Eat your rice, or Inari-sama will eat you."

"But I kinda wanted ramen…"

Kyuubi sighed as he leaned back against an arm rest, rubbing his forehead. Ever since he'd allowed the boys to go into the human village a week ago, Naruto and Gaara refused to talk about anything else. The fox was proud of the pranks they had pulled on the ninja, he would admit that, but after retelling the same story over thirty times, it tends to grate on your nerves. And now, this obsession with food!

Across from him, Shukaku chuckled at the fox's dilemma, gorging on his own bowl of rice and some of the Kyuubi's best salmon. At his knee, Gaara picked over a bowl of rice and trout, mentally agreeing with Naruto. It may be the best quality, but the demons seemed to be happy living on bachelor recipes!

Naruto sighed as he eyed Kyuubi's plate of Inarizushi. Quick and tasty, but it was so simple, just fried rice parcels. He wanted something tastier, noodles and meat and egg and veggies and wakame! That was a high-quality meal to the youngster. He sighed again as he picked at his portion of rice and chicken. It's not that he didn't love his Tousan, he just wished he could offer some new recipes for the Hitodama!

The fox rolled his eyes at the boy, jealously pulling his Inarizushi a little closer to him. At this point, he was considering taking the boy out and training him in illusions until he dropped, if only to get a little peace and quiet.

"When did you get a chance to steal ramen?"

"We didn't steal it, Hinata-chan bought it for us," Gaara offered, playing with his food.

"Bought?" Kyuubi snarled. Frowning, he put his chopsticks to the side as he sat up. "Naruto, you know the rules; never buy something if you can steal it instead!"

"I went back and stole more later!" the boy protested. Sighing, the fox rolled his eyes at the kid, slightly mollified.

"Just finish your meal Naruto-kun," he chided. "When you're done, go outside and show Gaara-kun your new illusion or something," he ordered, waving his hand lazily as he popped another Inarizushi into his fanged maw.

"Oh yeah! Gaara-kun, hurry up, I gotta show you that one, it's sooooo cool!!" he chirped, shovelling rice into his mouth, getting quite a bit on his face. Curious, the red-head copied the blond, and a few minutes later, the two were out the door and practicing in the clearing.

Shukaku smirked as he watched the two racing off. "Are all humans this energetic?"

"I don't know about you, but I was a quiet kit, for a Kitsune."

"What's the human phrase? Oh yeah, are pigs flying outside?"

THWAP!!

"OW!!"

"You will learn not to disrespect your host, Shukaku."

"Fuck you on your own tails, fuzzy!"

THWAPP!!

"I've said it before and I will say it again; I can do this all day if needed."

The two were interrupted from their pissing-contest by the arrival of Shukaku's Hitodama, who was dragging a scroll behind him. Seeing it, the Tanuki grinned as he accepted the scroll from the tired little flame. "Finally, the rest of my stuff!" he crowed, opening the sealing scroll. In it was a collection of the few things his Hitodama was able to retrieve or scavenge from his destroyed house and territory. A slight application of youki, and a shakujo popped out. Grinning evilly, the demon twirled it, and swung at Kyuubi, only for the fox to block at the last minute.

Coolly, the fox flicked golden eyes up at the raccoon, arm still up and blocking the staff. "Don't do that again," he intoned.

Smirking, the Tanuki relaxed, backing off from the attack. "Just making sure you were paying attention," he said, eyes bright as he put the weapon away. He frowned a little, forehead furrowing. "Does Gaara even know how to use chakra?" he wondered as he looked out at the boys.

~.....~......~.....~

Outside, the boys giggled as Naruto helped show Gaara the hand signs for basic illusions. "How does Gaara make this work?" the redhead asked, green eyes bright.

Naruto frowned, trying to remember how Kyuubi had described the energy needed for any technique. Absently, he brushed bits of rice off the front of his bright orange haori.

"It's an energy, it rests in your tummy." He pouted before shaking his head. "You gotta want it enough, you gotta force that energy out of your tummy and up through your hands."

The little sand child frowned as he held his hands in the Tora sign. Concentrating, he grunted as he tried to force something out into his hands. Nothing happened, then, a tingle in his arms marched up through his bones and into his fingers. He yelped, breaking his concentration in surprise.

"Not too bad, for a first try."

At the sound of the new voice, the boys twirled around, looking for the source. Naruto, being the one with the experience with demons, was able to sense the newcomer first. A pair of golden eyes glowed out of the shadow of the forest as the new Bijuu revealed himself. He was tall and elegant, all pale and white colors where the Orochi was all dark colors, long silver hair pulled back by five combs. His robes were a pale silk, bordered in a dark red, with scenes of wolves playing woven into the fabric.

The Gobi smiled lightly at the boys as they backed up away from him. The little blond obviously knew what he was, but unlike most of the other Bijuu, the Gobi was neutral about humans, and even enjoyed being around children.

"No need to fear," he assured as he crouched in front of the boys. "This one shall not harm you." Silver robes flowed around him as he sat down, the demon trying to act as harmless as possible.

Curious, the boys inched closer to the man. Gold eyes glinted in amusement as they came closer, acting more like skittish cats than normal little boys. The little blond was the first to get close enough to touch him, and as the child placed a hand on his sleeve, the dog stifled a frown at the growing whisker marks on the boy's cheeks. _'This one needs to have a talk with the fox,'_ he thought as the red head peered into his wide eyes.

"Who are ya, mister?"

The dog was brought back down to Earth by the boy's innocent question. Blinking, he turned to the child who was grinning like he was privy to a good joke. "This one is an ally of the Kyuubi. If you would be kind enough to lead this one to him?" he asked, knowing that would get the boys' attention.

The little redhead was the voice of reason among the pair. "How are we to trust you?"

"Come on Gaara! If he meant to hurt us, he could have done it already!" The bewhiskered child grabbed the Gobi by the sleeve, and grinned as he pulled the demon to his feet. "Tousan's this way!" he offered, tugging on the expensive silk like a puppy at a tug rope. Stifling a smile, the dog allowed the child to pull him along, Gaara following nervously.

As they approached the house, the trio paused at the sound of a high-pitched yelp, followed by hysterical laughter. To the boys amusement and the Gobi's surprise, Shukaku came skidding down the hall, hooting with laughter as he raced away, feet pounding on the wood of the deck. Snarling, Kyuubi pounced out of the hallway in a crouch, clawed hands biting into the floor as he raced after the be-damned Tanuki. The reason why was quite obvious: Shukaku had managed to chop a foot of hair off the fox, with the rest dyed a bright green. Of course, with the hair chopped off, it looked normal while the fox was in his human form. If he ever shifted again before it started growing back though, it would translate as a wide strip of fur being shaved off his spine, straight down his back.

Shukaku cackled as he led the fox on a merry chase around the deck. "Come on Fuzzy! It's not like it won't grow back!"

"And then how long will the dye stay in?!"

"Two weeks?"

"TWO WEEKS!?"

"Hey, it's a permanent! At least it washes out of our fur!!"

"I'm going to _kill_ you!!"

"Eloquent as always, Kyuubi-sama."

At the sound of the Gobi's voice, Kyuubi came to a screeching halt, staring at the placid old wolf and the two giggling human boys. Any lesser creature (as in, Shukaku) would have blushed; as it was, Kyuubi just blinked before casting a quick illusion over his hair, hiding the color.

"Boys, get out of here!" he ordered. When they looked at him curiously, he flapped a hand at them, urging them on. "Go and play, I don't care if you go into the forest or the village, just get out of here. I'll send a Hitodama when it's time for dinner."

The Gobi watched as the boys cheered before racing off, heading towards the village. Shukaku came padding back up as the dog approached the porch, slipping sandals off as he stepped up onto the polished wood.

"This one has much to discuss with you, Kyuubi-sama," he intoned. "Do you have any idea as to what you are doing to the boy?"

The fox shrugged as he led the dog inside, offering him a cushion to sit on as the Hitodama slid back the shoji for a cross breeze. "You know the story as well as the others. The kit has… grown on me."

Gobi snarled as he straightened his back, towering over the stronger fox momentarily. Unconsciously, Kyuubi withdrew into himself, hands drawn up closer to his chest before snapping himself out of his own instincts.

"You are poisoning the child!"

"What?!"

"Not the best of terms, but yes! Have you ever had need to heal him?"

"...Once. He accidentally sneezed and blew fire from his nose."

*Snrk* "How'd that happen?"

"_Shut up_ Shukaku."

"Indeed. Kyuubi-sama, the boy is now your true son."

_Let us give these three a moment to come to terms with this new twist._

_Ok, Time In!_

"WHAT?!"

"You have infused the boy with your youki, effectively transforming him into a hanyou."

"BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!"

Cool gold eyes turned to the Tanuki who was rolling on his back, clutching his sides.

"And what do you find so amusing Shukaku-san?" Gobi asked dryly, ignoring the fact that the younger demon was still cackling. "The circles that are beginning to form under the eyes of the sand child mark him as a true member of your family as well."

That put a wrench in the Tanuki's mirth. It was the fox's turn to chuckle at his expression as Shukaku stuttered at the healer. "B- but, I, we- he.... But I never tried to heal him!"

The old dog took a deep breath as the Tanuki righted himself.

"Your youki is not as, contained as Kyuubi-sama's, or even this one's. Just being in the same village as the boy seems to have been enough to begin the process. The orange child is farther along because of his close proximity to Kyuubi-sama."

"Are you sure it's me or could it be the ghosts keeping him awake at night?"

"Wait, you know what happened to Shukaku?" Kyuubi barked, turning to the Gobi.

Gold eyes flicked over to the kitsune. "A lack of visible Youkai markings allows this one to pass himself off as an eccentric human. This one has learned much about Shukaku-san's fate." he turned to look at the now-serious young demon. "Do you not remember your fight?"

Shukaku tilted his head. "I was in a fight? I don't remember much before Gaara released me."

The dog nodded as he plunged his hand into his sleeve, revealing five stripes on his wrist as he pulled out a scroll from the expensive fabric. "This one has recorded what he has learned, but the basic story is this; Shukaku-san, one of your masquerades as a priest did not end well."

Deep sigh. "What did the idiot do?"

"Hey!"

"I repeatedly told you to stop pretending to be a monk, but you never listened, so it's your fault!"

"Yes, it was Shukaku-san's fault. He fornicated with the daughter of a powerful priest."

"Shukaku, you didn't...."

"Oh Hell Yeah, I remember that much at least. Heh, she was a sweet little thing in the sack..."

"You... complete imbecile!!"

"Oh, what was I supposed to do?! Ask if she had any relatives who were spiritually inclined in the middle of doin' her?"

"Gentlemen, we do not need to fight amongst ourselves. From what this one has gathered, the priest learned of the tryst and sealed Shukaku-san in the kettle as punishment. Now is not the time for us to be discussing this, however. There is news on the humans of Red Dawn. They are short only three members. Soon, they will come after us."

Kyuubi huffed as he crossed his arms. "We knew that already. Yamata no Orochi informed me of this a few months ago. I admit, the seventh member is new, but nothing for us to be worried over yet."

The old dog growled as he bared fangs at the Youko. "Do you not see?! If they plan to come after us, a child whom is of your kin will be a great asset to them! If only as bait! And do you believe that Gaara-kun will stay as he is now? He shows great promise already, he WILL come into his powers! Do you not think that a warrior who can subdue our kind would not be held in high regard if word got out?!"

Kyuubi growled right back, Shukaku a half-second behind him. Even though the Tanuki acted like he didn't care about the boy, he would admit later, under heavy influence of sake, that the child had grown on him. "And what do you suggest then, take them deeper into the forest and dispatch them?! Our own kin, as you claim?"

The Gobi no Houkou lifted his chin as he stared down the pair. "No. Train them, until they drop. They must be strong enough to defend themselves if this group ever catches wind of them!" The dog sighed as he looked away. "This one only hopes that you two are able to live together long enough to do so without killing one another."

Sighing, Kyuubi stood up, shaking his head as he leaned against the door frame, staring out into the forest. "So do I, my old friend," he whispered.

Seeing the Kyuubi distracted, Shukaku leaned in closer to the Gobi. "Hey, I uhh, well, do you know what happened to Emiko? I mean, her family line," he asked in a hushed voice.

The dog nodded to himself. "Her last descendant is a ninja of the Hidden Sand, and although he has no spiritual prowess, his sister, Karura I believe, had the potential to be a great priestess before her death..."

~....~....~....~

The wind danced around the young girl as she sat in the forest outskirts, playing with her long hair. The dancing leaves in the trees around her, usually a balm for her soul after a hard day's training with her father, only seemed to mock her in their gay display.

Nothing mattered anymore. Her mother....

Hinata's thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of footsteps, of bare feet over grass, and she lifted her head slowly, pearlescent eyes blank as she whispered, "Please, l-leave me alone..."

Naruto and Gaara frowned at the sight of their friend. Only Gaara was able to see the only other person in the forest with them, a pale form of a woman who looked a lot like Hinata. Years of hiding his abilities from his family kept him from saying anything at first as he and Naruto sat down next to Hinata, who had finally recognized the pair.

The little blond frowned as he craned his head to try and look the girl in the eye. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Crying in earnest now, the little Hyuuga leaned against the blond, Gaara gingerly placing a hand on her shoulders. "My, my Kaasan, she d-died," she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "She said she would be fine! That she'd be able to come home and play with me and my new sister!"

The boys looked at each other over her shoulders, helpless looks on their faces. What did they know about mothers, or comforting a friend in this? Gaara's eyes kept flicking to the ghost, who was crying as well, trying to comfort the little girl. "I'm so sorry my little girl..." she wisped in a soft voice. "Please, tell her I'm sorry..."

"She says she's sorry," Gaara parroted after a second. When the other two looked at him, the sand child blushed as he looked away for a minute, looking at the ghost. "Gaara, he has always been able to see ghosts."

A painfully hopeful look rose in the young girl's eyes as she looked up. "Is, is my Kaasan here? Is she a ghost? Really?"

Gaara nodded as he started repeating what the older Hyuuga was telling him in her soft voice. "She says she wanted to come back, but it was just her time. She's only here still because of her love for you." He slowly took her hand. "She wants you to help your Tou-san with your little sister."

Hinata scrubbed at her face, wiping away the tears. "Of course I will, but the Compound won't be the same without her," she promised.

"Then you'll have us out here!" Naruto promised, grinning slightly as he held out a fist in pomise. "We'll come out here every day if you want us too!"

"Where do you two live? I've n-never seen you before the other week."

"Hinata-chan? Is that you?"

Startled, both boys looked up in the direction of the voice before racing off into the trees. The Kyuubi had been mad that they had let themselves be seen by adults, and they didn't want to be punished for that again. Mostly because the fox had made them do laps around the clearing until they dropped. They waved to Hinata as they raced off into the forest, seconds before the new person came up.

Minato smiled sadly as he came into the slight clearing, catching sight of the little Hyuuga girl. He'd heard about her mother, and had a feeling he'd find her in here. Sighing, he plopped down next to her, offering an arm if she wanted to lean on him. "Wanna talk?" he asked quietly.

Surprisingly, the girl shook her head before giving him a watery smile. "No, I-I think I'll be ok now," she said softly.

"That's good then," Minato offered. "So, who were you talking too?"

Hinata giggled a little. "Yuurei."

A laugh. "I see. And what did the ghost say?"

"Not to be sad anymore. And then he said he would came and visit me whenever he can."

"Who?"

"My new friend. He said he lives in the forest, but he'll come to see me all the time."

Minato paled. A ghost in the forest? Please no... "Hinata-chan, did your 'friend' have blond hair?"

Hinata nodded happily. The world seemed to freeze around the young Hokage as he quietly told the girl that her father was looking for her. As she raced off, he took a shuddering breath, staring out into the forest. "Naruto..."


	9. Decay

(Looks at her work, and then at the date.) Holy Crap, I've gotten better this summer! Don't expect this to continue during the school year though.

And on local news, it may have taken 6 weeks, but I finally got a job! Hooray for me! I'm working at Five Guys! Take that Evil-Corporate-Zombie-That-Is-Walmart! I don't need you anymore! Mwahahahahahahah!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. And I'd like to thank my mother for the information on trouble children, which will be used for Sasuke throughout the story. Oh, and my Beta Lizeth, who just plain rocks, Hard Core.

Chapter Nine: Decay

* * *

The merchant whistled as he directed his horse down the forest path. It was a lovely October day, crisp air and colorful leaves falling around him. Truly a great day to be alive!

It was the sound of sobbing that made him pull his horse up, looking around for the source. A patch of bright blue on the side of the road caught his eyes, and he jumped down from the cart. He never noticed the soft thump of a young boy jumping down into the cart from the trees, nor the sound of him rustling through the wares.

"Miss? Are you alright?" he asked as he came up on the person.

Bright blue eyes peered up at him, and the merchant blushed at the sight of the young lady. Golden blond hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and her bust threatened to split her kimono open. Faint marks patterned her cheeks, like whiskers or fingernails.

"Oh sir, please help me!" she whispered breathlessly, one hand steadying herself on the ground and the other one cradled under her bosom, pushing her pert breasts up -- a pair of firm double Ds.

That was a little too much for the man. The heaving breaths the girl was taking did interesting things to her chest. With a gurgle, the man fell backwards, conked out with blood flowing from his nose.

The girl frowned at the sight as she straightened up.

"Well, that was a weak one," she muttered before standing up, absently pulling her kimono shut. "Gaara-kun, anything good in there?"

The sand child grimaced at the woman as he looked up. "Naruto-kun, drop the illusion please, you're freaking Gaara out!"

Blinking, the woman looked down at herself, only to smirk. She knew men loved this form for the 'bodacious tatas.' It got Shukaku every time. With a flick of her hands, the illusion dispelled in a flurry of leaves, leaving behind the eight-year old Naruto.

"Sorry Gaara!" he chirped as he jumped into the wagon.

Gaara grinned as he shook his head, pawing through the bags. "No you're not."

Pause. Vigorous nod. "Yeah, you're right, I'm not."

Gaara rolled his eyes as he opened a sack, revealing an assortment of weapons.

"Oh shut up Naruto-kun." he poked. "Besides, Gaara found what we were looking for!" he said, holding up a kunai.

"And candy!" Naruto chirped, diving into a box of pocky. "We need to get the Hitodama for this!" he grinned, a dozen sticks of pocky already clenched in his teeth.

The little sand child laughed before whistling for the Hitodama. Naruto may have been the stronger of the two, but for some reason, Gaara was developing his demonic powers faster than the blond. As such, while Naruto could call only one of Kyuubi's Hitodama, Gaara was able to summon four and Shukaku's one little flame. "Pass Gaara some of that Naruto-kun!" he chirped as a small swarm of spirits popped into the clearing, circling around the red-head as Naruto tossed him a box of Pocky.

Naruto grinned as he passed the box to two of the Hitodama, the other three taking the sack of weaponry. Before leaving, the red flame bobbed in front of Naruto, who groaned as it squeaked at him.

"Alright, we'll head home," he whined as he jumped out of the wagon. Gaara sighed as he followed the other boy, giving the horse a pat on the leg before they disappeared into the forest, the little spirits carrying the candy and weapons.

Nice to know they have their priorities straight.

~....~....~....~

"This is the third merchant to be attacked this month! Something has to be done about this creature!"

Minato sighed as he shook his head. "I know what's in the forest. It's just a mononoke. It's harmless as long as you don't try to attack it." he argued, rubbing his forehead.

Danzo frowned as he narrowed a single eye at the Hokage. "It doesn't matter what you say. This time, weapons were stolen. This is much more serious than a few harmless pranks."

The blond sighed as he looked up at the old war hawk. "If I hear about this again, I'll send out a team, but nothing until then," he bargained. A knock on his door gave Minato the excuse needed to politely kick Danzo out of his office as a pair of ANBU entered. Recognizing the masks of the pair, the young man sighed as he stood up, joining the pair. "What happened this time?" he asked begrudgingly.

"A fight with the Inuzuka boy," reported the one on his left, a young man with a lion mask.

The other ANBU, an older gent with a monkey mask, shook his head as he flanked the Hokage. "They were arguing over something trivial, and it came to blows after the Inuzuka made a comment about his family."

Minato shook his head as he marched out of the office, the two assassins flanking him as he headed down. "I'm not sure what to do with him at this point. I never started this many fights at his age!" he muttered.

Shishi glanced at him. "He has too much energy. I say, start his training early. Give him more exercises than just the leaf one."

The monkey shook his head at this. "I agree to basic exercises, but any more than that and you will spoil the boy. He needs discipline."

"Like what Fugaku would have done?" The blond accused.

"What about the Nara? Isn't the boy friends with their son?"

"So, laziness and apathy to the world?"

"Or the Yamanaka."

"Please Shishi, his daughter already has him wrapped around her little finger."

"I'd say closer to the Akimichi then. Love and the every now-and-then training session."

The Hokage sighed as they exited the tower, headed on the roofs towards the academy. "Maybe I should foster him to one of the outposts. Give him some training and no-nonsense discipline."

The young lion laughed nervously as they jumped from a flower shop to the roof of a bakery.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked. He had been assigned at one of the outposts during his Chuunin years, and because of that, he considered ANBU to be a vacation.

"I really don't know anymore. I guess I'll have to see."

The young blonde forced a smile on a few minutes later as he walked into the office, the ANBU waiting for him outside of the academy. His ward was sitting in front of the desk, nursing a slip lip and black eye, while his teacher was behind the desk. Iruka smiled as he stood up, joining Minato. The young man had grown in the past eight years into a fine young Chuunin, and the Hokage was proud to have him as a teacher of the next generation of Shinobi.

"Hokage-sama, I'm glad you could come on such short notice," he offered, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. The young boy stiffened under his touch, but didn't say anything as the Chuunin continued. "We've already had a talk, so you can just take him home now if you want."

Minato nodded as he gestured for Sasuke to stand, eyes disappointed as he looked down at his ward. "Thank you Iruka-kun. I'll talk to him as well, but he'll be back by Monday."

"Thank you Hokage-sama," Iruka smiled brightly as the blond exited, Sasuke sulking at his side. Outside of the academy, the two ANBU hid themselves on the roofs as the pair walked back to Minato's home.

"...He insulted my father."

Minato shook his head as he looked down at the young Uchiha. "That doesn't mean you can attack him! Sasuke-kun, prove that you are the better man next time and don't hit him," he lectured.

The young boy pouted as he looked up at the blond. "But he called my father a coward! Just because...because HE killed him. He wasn't a coward, was he?"

"No, Itachi-kun was just insane," Minato offered, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I don't know if his duties as ANBU captain drove him to insanity or if it was some thing else entirely, but from what I know, Fugaku-san was not a coward. A coward wouldn't offer his own life to try and save his wife like Fugaku-san did." He grinned as they turned to his house, a small two-floor place that had a large plot of land in the back for training. "Now, shall we have lunch first, or do you want to train a little?"

A grin spread across Sasuke's face for the first time that day. "Can we get something with tomatoes?"

"Sure. How about that pasta stuff from Iwa? I heard it's pretty good."

~....~....~....~

It was later that night that Minato found the file.

His secretary had been sick, so he had sent her home for the night. He had been filing an S-class scroll, when he had come across a file with the the title 'Housekeeping'. Curious, the young man poked through the file, noting the date to be only a few years old, just short of three.

Blue eyes went wide as he skimmed through the file, the blood draining from his face. Quite a few important names popped out at him, and a hoarse whisper grated past his throat. "Oh please, no...." In a flurry of wind and dust, he vanished from the office, to confront one of the names on the list.

Sarutobi laughed as he played with his four-year old grandson. The little boy had stolen one of his hats, a wide conical straw hat, and was pretending to be the Hokage, 'Just like Grandpa!' when the knock came on the door. Dusting his knees off, he rose from the floor to open the door, only to blink at the sight of Minato standing there.

"What can I do for you, Yondaime-sama?"

"We need to talk," Minato said tersely, holding up the folder so that the codename could be clearly seen. Sarutobi paled at the sight, but nodded as he let the younger man in, asking for a minute to put his grandson down for the night.

"But Grandpa! I'm not sleepy yet!" Konohamaru whined, only to yawn as the old man picked him up.

"I beg to differ little one. Now, say good night to the nice Hokage, and let's get you to bed."

Yawning again, the little boy waved at Minato from over the man's shoulder, the straw hat falling from his hand as they headed for his room. Upset, Minato paced in the living room, angry that this information had been kept from him. A few minutes later, Sarutobi came back, grim as a man facing the firing squad.

"Why wasn't I informed about this?!" Minato barked, throwing the file to the previous Hokage. "I'd think that this is vital information on my village!"

Sarutobi sighed as he looked in the file, confirming its contents. "You weren't in the village the night this was compiled, you were inspecting the outposts to the northwest, on the Kusa-Iwa border. Itachi would trust this information with no one else but me."

"Then why wasn't I informed when I got back, or even the night of the massacre?"

"By the time you got back it was too late, and Itachi had already started the massacre. We couldn't tell you afterwards because of your attachment with the boy." Sarutobi sighed as he shook his head. "I know you too well Minato. If you had known, you would have told Sasuke-kun, even though a little boy of five doesn't need to know that his family was not what it seemed."

"I wan't told because of my personal life?" Minato asked softly. Blue eyes were icy as he looked up at the older man. "Am I not a Shinobi? Do I not know how to keep secrets? Your excuse is a load of crap Sarutobi-san." he growled.

"It wasn't simply my decision to make! Homura and Koharu overruled me and had it classified as a triple-S secret," Sarutobi defended.

"And yet I just happened across it as I was filing a scroll?" Minato retorted, ignoring the fact that the file HAD been with the other S-class scrolls and files. He sighed as he turned away, starting to feel guilty from the wounded look on the old man's face. "So, now what?"

"You know we cannot let Sasuke-kun know. It would devastate him." Sarutobi's eyes went flinty as he approached the young Hokage, gently pulling the file closed as he handed it back to him. "As far as the rest of the village knows, the Uchiha were massacred unjustly, and Itachi is an S-class nukenin. Nothing more, and nothing less."

Minato shook his head as he walked to the door, looking back at the older man one lst time. "I'll keep my peace for now, but know this. Eventually, this information will get out, and shit will hit the fan. And when that happens, I hope to the gods that I'm not here to tell you that I told you so." And with that last warning, he dissapeared into the night, leaving a troubled Sarutobi to think about what he might have created.


	10. Rained Leaves

Ok, just for the record, I'm only going to update during the breaks, I need to concentrate on School. So only on the Christmas and Summer breaks, spring and Thanksgiving if I can swing it. But I WILL finish this story, no worries!!

BTW, if anyone draws the first half of this chapter, I will write them their own one-shot. Their choice of anime or game or whatever, I just wanna see Shukaku tied up like a hog for the spit.

Disclaimer: I own nothing~!

_MERRY CHRISTMAS!!_

Chapter Ten: Rained Leaves

* * *

Clashing metal rang through the clearing as the boys practiced behind the house. Gaara and Naruto were enjoying the new weapons they had stolen, and were practicing their accuracy, using some of Shukaku's porn as the targets. Say goodbye to the books and blow-up doll you pervert!

On the porch, Shukaku growled as the boys giggled, another hole being ripped into his newest book, the first of the Icha Icha series. Kyuubi smirked as he pulled the rope tighter, hog-tying the Tanuki. The younger demon had his arms tied to his sides at the upper arms and the elbows, and then his forearms together behind his back. His legs were tied together at the thighs, knees and calves, with his ankles pulled up to connect them to his wrists. "This is for your own good, Shukaku. Porno is a perversion against nature, and you know it. It draws away from the beauty of the real thing."

"Mrrthrrtphr ffcx."

"Now now, no talking with the ball gag in your mouth. Nasty habit that," Kyuubi chided absently before instructing Naruto to keep his elbow up. Obeying, the boy threw another kunai, to have it go right between the eyes of the blow-up doll. With a pathetic whine, the doll deflated, hanging limply by the knife through her head.

"Nice shot Naruto-kun!" Gaara chirped as he threw a shuriken at an erotic poster. The sharp metal ripped through the woman's chest, taking off half of it, much to Shukaku's dismay. Gold eyes turned pleadingly up at the fox, who just smirked as he motioned for the boys to pause.

"It's time for fresh targets boys!" he chirped sadistically, suppressing a laugh as Shukaku moaned in anguish as more books and a few adult 'toys' were propped up; a whip, some toys, and a few others that REALLY do not bare repeating.

Looking at one, Naruto turned his gaze up to Kyuubi as he pulled the kunai from the blow-up doll. The plastic fell to the ground with a pathetic flop. "Tousan, please don't let Gaara and I grow up to be like Shukaku-san," he pleaded.

The fox grinned as he approached one of the afor-mentioned items. "I will tell you what Naruto-kun, if you can put a kunai right through the X," he started, scratching an X through the toy, "then I can promise you won't be like Shukaku-san, alright?"

"Ok!" And with that happy note, Naruto and Gaara went back to their practice, happily slinging away, trying to be the first to hit the X, and therefore, the first to be safe from perversion.

"Mm gnrr kll yrr ffcx!"

"You can try Shukaku, and I will defeat you as easily as I did the first time. No sand here for you to use this time, Tanuki," Kyuubi smirked as he sat down on Shukaku's shoulders, crossing his ankles as he watched the boys. A Hitodama drifted up with a dish of Sake, and the fox grinned as he took it delicately, sipping from it as he watched the boys destroy the Tanuki's porn collection.

"Very mature, Kyuubi-sama."

At the new voice, Naruto grinned as he dropped the last kunai. "Ni-obasan!" he yelled, racing up to the cat. Smiling, the woman crouched to accept the hug, squeezing him to her as he jumped into her arms. "It's been forever Ni-obasan!"

The cat laughed as she stood up, balancing Naruto on her hip as Gaara joined them. "It's only been a few months Naruto-kun!" she teased, offering her free arm to Gaara. She had met the sand-child a few months after he'd joined the two bachelor demons, and had taken him in as another nephew.

"It still feels like forever!" Gaara chirped as he hugged the cats' arm.

The Nibi laughed at this as she walked up to the porch, Naruto sliding down to his feet. Seeing the Tanuki, the woman slowly smirked. "My Shukaku, are we a little busy? You look a little, tied-up at the moment."

"Fcck yrr"

"Not if you were the last male in the Elemental Countries," she primmed, turning her nose up into the air. At her side, the boys giggled at the murderous look on the Tanuki's face.

Smirking, the fox slowly eased himself off of the younger demon's shoulders, passing the empty sake dish to a Hitodama. "Have we learned our lesson Shukaku?" he asked, hand on the ropes around his ankles. Grinding his teeth against the gag, the young raccoon nevertheless nodded, wanting out of the bindings. For cryin' out loud, he couldn't feel his thighs anymore!

Red eyes were mocking as all the fox did was unclasp the ball gag. Gagging, the Tanuki spat it out, working his jaws to loosen the sore muscles. "Release me you son of a bi-" he stopped as the gag was shoved back in, locked into place by his fangs sinking into the rubber.

"I see you've yet to learn how to respect your betters, 'coon-dog," Nibi chirped as she viciously dug her clawed toes into his back, shredding the back of his monk robes. Snarling around the rubber ball, the youngest demon thrashed as best as he could, trying to get his teeth out of the toy.

Kyuubi grinned as he pulled the demon up, releasing his ankles so he could balance. "Boys, it's time to practice illusions!" he called, pulling the Ichibi to the post where the boys had been target practicing. With the swift fluid motions that spoke of much practice, he secured the younger man to the post, giving the boys free rein over the resilient demon. When they had protested, saying they didn't want to hurt the younger demon, the fox just assured them it would prevent them from falling into perversion later in life. Of course, this convinced them. Nodding, the fox gestured for the cat to follow him, kicking his sandals off as they entered the house.

"You're early this time Ni-san. I didn't expect you for at least another month," Kyuubi mentioned as he sat down, the cat taking a plush rug in front of him.

"Yeah, well, I heard a few disturbing rumors that I had to talk to you about." she offered, rubbing her arms.

Red eyes flicked up at the cat. By now, the information on Akatsuki should have been passed to all the other Bijuu. That was one of the reasons he had the nine Hitodama, so that he could spread word to the others fast. "What is it Nibi?"

She looked away, suddenly nervous. "I've heard that, HE is back."

Kyuubi flinched, understanding why the cat was so nervous. HE was to the Bijuu, what the Bijuu were to humans! A man who had the power to control the demons, to force them to bend to his will. He shook his head, remembering his own encounter with the demon of a man. He was easily put under the man's control, and if it hadn't been for his Hitodama, he would have been forced to do what the man wanted.

That had been about eight, almost nine years ago. It had taken the sacrifice of his youngest Hitodama to shake the control over him.

Kyuubi shook his head as he looked up at the Neko. "If He was back, I'd be the first he'd come after. Remember what happened last time? He'll want revenge." A rare smile tweaked across his face as the pair ignored the screams for mercy from outside. He may not be the most loving of demons, but the fox understood why the cat was so nervous. He patted her hand gingerly as he looked her in the eyes. "Even if he IS back, I doubt he'll come after you," he tried to comfort.

The cat suddenly puffed up. "What? AM I not GOOD enough for Him?! Am I not POWERFUL enough to tempt him?!" She hissed, hair bristling at the fox.

At once, the man backed off, ears pulling back. You don't vex a cat, and a woman even less so. "No nothing like that! He'll just be wanting to go for a heavy hitter! Six-tails and up!"

"Oh?!? So I'm not STRONG enough to count? Me, a Nekomata?! The Queen of the Manipulators of the Dead?! I'm not GOOD enough?!!"

"If I see this guy, I'll tell him to go after you instead."

The cat froze for a second, her tails puffing under the illusion before turning around, only to see the now-very-ragged Shukaku, with his sleeve around his legs, his sandals still on, and his pants missing.

Kyuubi smirked at the youngest demon. "Well I see you got out of the restraints faster this time," he smirked.

"Kill. You."

"As I said, you can try."

The Tanuki's eye twitched as he pointed at the cat. "I, am going to go put some pants on, before I have to deal with you!"

Nibi giggled as she looked at him, holding her fingers close to each other over her mouth. "A bit cold, Shukaku?" she teased, eyeballing the human-style boxers the demon preferred. Shukaku did nothing, only flipped the cat the bird as he shuffled on past, his tattered sleeve dragging on the floor, sandals tapping as he retreated.

The fox sighed as his Hitodama fluttered about, already cleaning the mud and dirt left by the rude house guest. "I swear, I need to neuter him, we'd all be so much happier after wards," he muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"I'll hold him down, and you can use the knife."

As the two argued, they never noticed the boys racing into the house, or the flash of orange out in the trees...

* * *

It was a few days later, in the pouring rain, that a stranger came to the clearing.

Dark hair draped over red eyes, plastered down by the rain fall, and a thin mouth was pulled in an evil grin as he pulled an orange mask away from his face, revealing flawless pale skin. Dark armor glistened in the rain, and dark eyes were steady as he approached the villa. Dark spiky hair was lying flat from the rain, and as he came to the door, a pair of the Hitodama swirled around his head for a second before disappearing back into the house.

"It's been a long time, Kyuubi."

Red eyes flicked up, but never went past the man's neck as the fox glared from the shoji door. "Not long enough, Madara."

Black eyes were filled with dark amusement as the man cocked a head to the side. "Now now, I'd think you're not pleased to see me. After all, it's been nine years since we last talked."

Kyuubi swallowed back a growl as he gracefully eased himself to his feet, dark red flame-patterned robes trailing on the floor. The demon markings on his cheeks darkened in his anger, and the Hitodama retreated farther into the house."I'm not pleased to see you. Last we crossed, you attempted to force me to bend to your will."

A negligent shrug. "All in the name of good business, you understand that right?" Water flew as he shook his head, still out in the rain. He didn't attempt to enter the house; the fox was on a hair-trigger at the moment, so if he even tried he'd be attacked. "But ancient history isn't why I'm here now. The time is coming."

"It will never happen. I will kill myself before allowing you to control me again."

"Oh, naive little demon. You are not the only one I want. I'll need all nine of you before the end."

The growl wasn't held back anymore. "But if your goal is what I believe it is, you DO need all nine of us in order to summon your creature. I will take myself out of the equation before giving you a chance."

"But you have weaknesses. Ways to manipulate even the strongest of wills. I have heard rumors about a mononoke in the forest. One that attacks the road near here, and looks like a small child...?"

Red eyes were steady, but that immortal heart squeezed at the mention of his adopted son. Seems Naruto wasn't being as careful as he should. A casual shrug of the shoulder. "I have also heard of a well-endowed woman doing the same. Doesn't mean anything."

"What is surprising is that a spirit is doing this on your territory, and you have yet to kill it. Either it is you, which I truly doubt, or you know the spirit itself."

"Leave my territory."

"Attempt to kill yourself, and I will find this, 'spirit,' and kill him myself."

"You will not touch him."

"Oh, so it IS true."

"You will NOT touch him!"

"You know my terms."

"Swear it. On your eyes, that you will not touch him, and I will stay here. I will not run, hide, or take myself out." Kyuubi dared to look he man in the eyes, which were still black as coal. "Do it, and leave."

Madara smirked as the rain began to lift, a mist rising from the ground. "On my eyes, I will not harm anyone as long as you are still here when I come again."

Deeper in the mansion, the Nibi, who had yet to leave, sat shivering in fear at the sound of the Uchiha's voice. Despite all the bug talk of a few days ago, she was truly terrified of the man out there. A cat prides herself on her control over herself and her enviroment, and being under the Ninja's control just once was enough to shake her world.

That had been many years ago, and Kumogakure still had legends about her attack...

It was sheer luck that Shukaku wasn't on the property. The Tanuki had left earlier in the day to steal cigarettes from a nearby post. The youngest demon was the only one who hadn't been under Madara's control before, and knowing him, he would have attacked the Uchiha, and learned the folly of his ways the hard way.

She cowered as Madara's voice floated through the air again, part of her ashamed of her weakness, but the rest of her subconcious was begging for mercy. A whimper tried to force its way from her throat, but her pride managed to hold it back.

The soft patter of feet caught her ears, and she looked up to see Naruto and Gaara peeking out from around a corner. At once, they rushed to her, Gaara nervous about the Uchiha himself, and Naruto scared about how his father-figure was acting around the ninja. The blonde looked up at her from her embrace, "What's happening?" he asked with all the worry and fear of an eight-year old boy. Next to him, Gaara shivered as he buried his head in the Nibi's embrace as Madara gave a sharp retort. He didn't even need to see the man, his growing powers as a priest told him that this man was not to be trusted in the least.

The cat took a shuddering breath as she clutched the boys closer to her. "That man, is all that we fear, more of a demon than we demons ourselves. He represents all that we fear, because he is the only one who can control us." She pulled back a little as she looked the boys in the eyes. "You must never go against a member of this man's family, never fight an Uchiha!"

Earnest green eyes looked up at the amber eyes of the cat. "How can we tell if they're an Uchiha?"

"The eyes. If their eyes are red with black circles and marks, they're members of the Uchiha Clan. As soon as you know they are, never ever look them in the eyes. Look anywhere else, but the eyes."

A serious nod. "We promise, Ni-obasan."

Outside, Madara and Kyuubi were staring each other down, Kyuubi the only one who could hear the conversation in the house. Smirking, the Shinobi blinked first, conceding this time. "You just remember that I WILL be back soon."

The fox glared as the ninja turned away, walking out of the clearing. "Just remember YOUR promise, and I'll keep mine," he snarled as the man melted into the trees, eyes glowing red and a rumbling chuckle drifting in the wind.


	11. Trees in the Mist

My First flame people!

....

_From: nlkkkjghjv ()_

_this is one of the worst story i have seen on FF. you are making madara and  
the uchiha too powerful and the 4th look like a wimp. making kyubi and the  
rest of the tailed beasts afraid him like that. what the ** are you on? and  
don't forget it was the other akatsuki members who captured the seven beasts.  
madara didn't do nothing. and he can only control the kyubi. only the 1st  
hokage can control the others_

_....  
_

Ok, points for coherency butt-munch, I'll give you that. And for the record, IF I was on something, it's none of your bee's wax.

The Fourth is far from a wimp. He is a man who is in a position of power, and sometimes that means that he is restricted in what he can actually do. Even so, he leads the ANBU in the raid on Orochimaru's lab, and would have captured him but for the fact that the Snake-Sannin had a new jutsu that Minato had not seen before. And before that, he was still mourning for the loss of his wife and son. He was stunned to discover that Hinata's 'ghost' might have been the restless spirit of his demon-killed boy.

As for Madara and the First. Madara is said to have the power to force demons to bend to his will, while the Shodaime was said to be able to subdue them. When a demon like Kyuubi and the others encounter a man, a 'weak' mortal that they could kill by stepping on him, and he suddenly forces you to go on a rampage against your will, it's a massive blow to your pride, your strength, and your ego. So yes, Nibi is scared of him, and the higher tails are very wary of the man. Plus, with the whole 'Juubi' plot, how do you think he's going to control this critter if he could only control one of the nine? It makes sense that he's able to control all of them.

That's all I'm gonna say on the subject, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. All and any Flames will be posted with new chapters, and ridiculed.

Chapter Eleven: Trees In the Mist

* * *

Mizuki cackled as he launched himself through the trees, the Forbidden Scroll, the Scroll of Seals, securely fastened to his back. His original plan to trick any failure to steal the scroll for him had failed, mostly because everyone, even the lazy Nara boy had passed, but his Lord needed the scroll, and the rewards would be beyond his imagining! It made the effort and risk to steal it himself worth it, and now, he was home free! As long as he kept moving, the ANBU wouldn't be able to find him before safely reaching the land of Rice.

He sneered at the thought of the Yondaime. That blonde upstart, he didn't deserve the hat! His master was the strongest shinobi from Fire Country, and when he had been denied that which was rightfully his, well the Chuunin couldn't blame his fleeing Konoha. An act that the man was replicating now.

Only to stop suddenly. It wasn't of his own design, oh no. If he had a choice, he would have raced all the way to Otogakure. But the sudden snap of a rope and an unexpected flight upward effectively halted his retreat to the border as he ascended into the canopy by his ankle. Even as he prepared to use kawarimi, (he was out of practice from years as a teacher,) he was stopped as a solid mass of ropes swarmed him, wrapping around the man until he was cocooned, hanging from the tree like a silver-and-tan fruit. Before he could even THINK about struggling, the world went dark.

It seemed like only a second later for Mizuki, but it was a few hours later that the ANBU found him. He had been propped up against a tree, most of the ropes gone but for the ones that tied his hands behind his back, his uniform changed into a pink sundress, and his hair dyed a lurid neon green. Paint was on his face, forming a swirl that was becoming iconic with mononoke victims, and to the horror of the village, the Scroll of Seals was missing.

At this point, the spirit had gone far enough. Minato ordered a search of the forest, searching for either the scroll or the spirit itself. For nearly a month, the ANBU scoured the forest surrounding their home, and found nothing more than a few old traps, (some by stepping in them; they got a lot more cautious after the second time someone had paint dumped on them, and after the first time one of their number had been infested with lice) and the remains of a few kills, human and animal alike. But no scroll, and no hint of the spirit itself.

~...~...~...~

Hinata grinned to herself as she packed her bag. It was a month after graduation, and the Yondaime had just granted a joint C-Rank between Team 8, her team, and Team 7. The only reason they were together on this one, was because it was a small caravan that needed an escort back to Wave.

The Hyuuga girl shook her head. The reason they were able to take this mission so early in their careers as ninja, was because the Uchiha had raised a fit, saying that he was tired of useless D-Ranks that held back his strength. Team 8 were coming back from weeding a garden at the time, and Kiba had chimed in as well, threatening to eat the Firelady's cat if they had to chase it again. That had amused the blonde, and he decided to humor them with an easy C-Rank. The man they were escorting was an old bridge builder and his caravan of materials.  
The girl sighed as she looked out towards the forest. She hadn't seen her mononoke friends ever since graduation and she was worried that they were hurt or dead somewhere. But outside of in the forest, she didn't know where they lived, so she was unable to visit the past four years. They had been a constant in her life, outside of their growing wildness and strength.

Another sigh. There was no time to wonder about her friends now. The bag was thrown over her shoulder, the last of her weapons stored in her kunai pouch. A tweak on her hitae-ate and a shift of her fishnet under the jacket, and she was ready to go.

She tilted her head back as she stepped out of the compound, soaking up the sun for a minute before racing for the east gate. Kurenai-sensei promised to be there within the hour, and the girl refused to let the older woman down by being late. It was only a minute to get to the gate, and she was happy to notice that she was the first of her team there. She grinned as she brushed a hand across her sleeve, touching the flame symbol, a secret tribute to her friends, and she settled in next to her Sensei as they waited for the rest of the Ninja and their client.

~...~...~...~

"Tousan! Can we go on a vacation please?"

"A vacation? When you still have more to learn from that scroll?"

"We can take it with us! Please, it's been forever since we left the forest!"

The Kyuubi sighed as he stared down the little boy. Naruto was pouting at his father figure, hands on his hips. Gaara was next to him, just as serious as his friend and almost-brother. Red eyes were curious as he cocked an eyebrow at the pair of twelve-year olds. "Alright, what brought this on?"

A sheepish look from both boys. The older boy looked back at Gaara for a second, hand sneaking behind his back to something behind him. "Do we need a reason? We've been cooped up in the clearing since we stole the scroll! The ninja have backed off, but we're still bored," Naruto argued.

The fox had to admit, the boy had a good point, they were all a little stir crazy in the mansion, but the demon was still suspicious. The slight flicker behind Naruto's back was enough to catch his eye. With a raised eyebrow, he gently pushed his son to the side, to reveal a sea-blue Hitodama. The little spirit wavered in embarrassment before 'waving' at the Lord of Demons. "The Sanbi?"

Gaara frowned as he stepped up again. "We haven't seen Sanbi-jisan in years now! And Gaara has never seen his lands."

"And he hasn't visited us since we were ten! Can we go Tousan?"

Kyuubi paused, and then sighed. "Well, I guess I can suffer a few weeks on the beach for you two," he joked lightly.

Only to go blank as Shukaku raced out in glee, posing for the others in a pair of sand-colored swim trunks. The lack of shirt and pants reveled the series of blue marks that decorated the Tanuki's skin. "To the beaches! Sand, Surf and Sun! And of course, the hot ladies!" A rakish grin. "Let's go already!"

The boys laughed at the younger demon as they ran off, going to pack a few bags of clothes and other needed items, leaving the demons alone. At a thought, two Hitodama raced off as well, to put together a pair of scrolls for the demons. Kyuubi rolled his crimson eyes at the boy's antics, taking in their appearances. The twelve year-olds were up to his chest in height, and had added a lot more muscle to their small frames. Neither had cut their hair since they were six, so both were looking a little wild. The fox made mental plans to get them a trim soon. As it was, Gaara had his tied back in a long pony tail, with two layers of ties in the hair, while Naruto had tied it back, then sectioned it off into three tails. Both were in tunics, Gaara in red and black, while Naruto was in orange and blue. Blindingly bright orange. And bright light blue. The combination was rather jarring.

The thing that was a little strange was that both boys were much more tactile than the demons. The Gobi, being the resident healer, theorized that it was because neither child had been held or touched enough as babies, and instinctively, they were trying to make up for it. Naruto wasn't as bad as Gaara, because while the Hitodama weren't the most substantial, they could still interact with the little human, and the Kyuubi had been there to take care of him. He had also had his father before, but the man hadn't been able to take care of his own child as much as he would have wanted. But the little sand-child hadn't been abused as much as just ignored, and had grown up with minimal contact until he released Shukaku from his prison.  
Red eyes flicked to the Ichibi at the thought. The fox had a suspected a few things about the boy's lineage and some of it had to do with the demon before him. The young sand child had only joined them after the age of five, and yet was already changing into something similar to a hanyou. Naruto had been with him since he was a babe in arms, and was at the same level. Considering the time differences, the red-head was growing at a faster rate than the little blond!

Or at least, he should have been, but recently, they had noticed the boy having to work harder to get the same increase in his chakra. It was very small, they doubted the boy really noticed yet, but the Bijuu could see it, and knew the boy would cap off in strength in a decade or so.

Everything has their limits. Some just go farther than others.

A few seconds later, the boys returned, dragging stuffed bags with them as they smiled up at their father figures. He chuckled at the sight of a pair of orange trunks sticking out of Naruto's bag. "Can we go now!" Naruto chirped.

The fox smirked as a Hitodama came up with a scroll filled with clothes and supplies. "Of course we can." he intoned, tripping the Ichibi as he danced by him. With a whoosh of air, the Tanuki landed hard on his stomach, the wind knocked out of him. The little sand-colored Hitodama had a scroll for his master, so the Fox ushered the boys to the door. "Grab your sandals, and let's head out," he called, tying his own sandals on. He brushed a little dirt off of his outfit, a crimson pair of Hakama and a burgundy Haori with a fox playing on his sleeve. "Shukaku will catch up to us when he _puts his clothes back on_," he called as he joined the boys.

~...~...~...~

Kiba yawned as he stretched, trotting besides the caravan's left flank. Akamaru snuggled in closer to his neck, wrapped up in the lowered hood of Kiba's jacket. The little pup was worn out from a hard training session earlier, so his partner didn't mind him getting a little extra sleep.

It had been boring, the past day. The old man's caravan consisted of him, a few villagers from Wave, and of course, the wagon of metal columns needed for the bridge itself. They had traded pre-cut wood for the metal, all of it hard woods that were harder to find in the land of pines and other soft wooded-trees that made up Konohagakure no Sato. Soft woods could be used to build, but hard woods like the type Tazuna had were much preferred, and used in frame work.

The ninja sighed, stepping over a puddle in the road. Only to frown as a wisp of a scent tickled his nose, the smell of men, blood, and metal oil. Around his neck, Akamaru stirred as he sensed his partner tensing up, looking around as he sat up, paws balancing on his neck. Small nose went into overtime, but when they were able to pick anything else up, they jogged to catch up with the rest of the caravan, Ignoring Kakashi-sensei, who was bringing up the rear.

And that was when Kakashi died in a shower of gore.

"Spread out!" Kurenai barked, pulling a kunai from her pouch. At once, the Genin followed her orders, fanning out to protect their assigned posts. Akamaru jumped down from Kiba's head, growling as he joined his human, and Shino started humming as his colonies came to life, a thin haze forming around him as the bugs started to spread out.

Red eyes flicked about as the last Sensei stayed on alert. The second their foes came back into focus, she flipped through a series of signs, pulling up a Genjutsu. It was a pair of fighters in black, with water breathers and metal claws. Dark eyes flicked up, taking in their opponents in seconds as they clicked metal claws ominously. "One down," they growled together, before racing after the frozen Tazuna.

Only to be stopped by a pair of clan members. Sasuke and Hinata may not like each other, but they worked together well as they double-teamed the Chuunin. A kunai to block the claws, curved fingers striking at Chakra points, a whirlwind of dark hair and metal as the pair distracted the Chuunin long enough for Kurenai's Genjutsu to kick in.

Hinata panted lightly as she inspected a tear in her dark blue jacket, a near miss from poisoned claws. Behind her, Sakura was racing up, calling out to the Uchiha as she abandoned her post. Luckily, Sai, Shino, and Kiba remembered their jobs, and kept on alert around the caravan as Kurenai tied up the Demon Brothers.

"Sasuke-kun, Hinata-chan, good job!" Kakashi chirped as he reappeared from the trees. Blinking, the Genin turned to look back where he'd been 'kill,' only to see pieces of shattered branches. Kawarimi. "I'm sorry if I worried you, but I needed to see who they were after." A lazy eye turned to stare down Tazuna, who had staggered back to lean against the caravan. The other civilians tensed at the look in Kakashi's eye. "I think you have some explaining to do."

As Tazuna explained the rest of the story, Kurenai came up to make sure Hinata was alright. "They didn't injure you, did they?" she asked, inspecting the tear in her jacket.

"N-not even a scratch Kurenai-sensei," she offered, pale eyes relieved that the fight was over already.

"That was an interesting fighting style you were using. When did you start modifying your family's style?"

A blush. Hinata hadn't meant to use that style, she was still trying to integrate Gaara and Naruto's style into the Hyuuga style, but it was becoming second nature to fall back into the more deadly combination of claw and chakra. "I have two friends from the forest. We've been training together for m-many years n-now," she offered, trying to skirt around the issue. She didn't want her friends to get in trouble by telling Kurenai too much about them. It was also because of them that her stutter had lessened, so it only bothered her every now and again.  
Kurenai nodded at the information, knowing better than to push. If the young Heiress wanted to tell her more, she would come to her to do so.

"Everyone!" Kakashi called, voice light despite the situation. At once, the ninja converged, quickly and quietly. "This has just been upgraded to a B-rank at least. Wave doesn't have the money at the moment to pay for anything higher than a C-rank, but it's up to us if we want to continue."

"Hmpth. I'm staying."

"As if any weakling Nuke-nin could take us out!"

"I vote to stay, Sensei."

"...Stay."

"If Sasuke stays, I stay too!"

Kurenai turned to Hinata as she stayed silent. "What do you think Hinata-chan?"

The Hyuuga frowned slightly as she glanced around at her fellow Genin and the caravan. The civilians were watching her anxiously, one man praying under his breath for them to help the much poorer Wave. "What would"_ - my friends-_ "Hokage-sama do if he were here?" she asked as she turned back to Kakashi.

An eye-grin. "He'd charge in, jutsu flying, as always."

~...~...~...~

Back in Konoha, Minato sneezed, then cursed as he spilled ink all over an important document. Around him, his Kage Bunshin rolled their eyes at themself, filing away more scrolls.

~...~...~...~

Hinata nodded, knowing that her mononoke friends would do the same thing. "Wave n-needs our help. I'll stay," she decided.

"Alright, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Kiba crowed, Akamaru yipping at his side. Sai, the strange little spy from Ne, just smiled as he shifted his pack over his shoulder. Sakura looked apprehensive, but ready to follow the rest of the group. Shino was calm and stoic as always, and Sasuke had a knowing grin on his face. Unbeknownst to the rest of the Genin, he was hoping that this mission would be dangerous enough to trigger the Sharingan, activating his bloodline. If it did, it would be a boon to the young ninja. Despite his training with Minato, the eyes had refused to activate, and Sasuke theorized that it was because he trusted the Hokage instinctively.

As the caravan started rolling out again, Hinata looked back at the two Chuunin, who had been tied up against a tree. "Sensei, what are we to do with these two?" she called. The pair of Nuke-nin were glaring at her over their breather masks.

Kakashi snorted, annoyed for the first time that day. "Leave them for the mononoke," he answered. He was bitter, because a few days ago, 'someone' had managed to glue all his furniture to his ceiling.

At the mention of the spirits, the rather superstitious Chuunin froze, eyes wide. Kakashi eye-grinned as he looked back at the pair. "Oh yes, I'm sure the mononoke and Demons will enjoy those two," he chirped.

"That was rather mean," Kurenai muttered as the older Jounin joined her. "We don't even know if the demon still lives here, let alone more than one."

"I know. That's what makes it so funny."

* * *

OMAKE: By Velshard

Naruto: "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said in a slightly maniacal  
tone

Gaara: "It seems that someone has rather kindly left us a gift aniki." said  
with an amused tone

Kyuubi: "Then I suppose it would be rude of you two not to play with them  
wouldn't it otouto?" said cooly with a slightly malicious look on his face as  
he steps up behind the two young hanyous.

Shukaku: "Indeed. The only question is should it be humiliation or  
excruciation, anyone care to flip a coin?" said while grinning like a lunatic  
as he steps up beside Kyuubi.

Gozu and Meizu: "Mommy" said in stereo

With the Konoha Ninjas a little ways up the road: screams of horror reach  
their ears from behind them causing a little chill to run up the whole  
caravan's spines. Kakashi reaches up and rubs his scalp a bit before speaking  
"Ma, I have to say I feel rather guilty now."


	12. The Mist Thickens

Let it be known that I love all you guys who make this story worth continuing. Seriously, I love you guys!

I was considering whether of not to somehow give the boys summoning contracts with normal animals, but ran into an issue. Only Gaara still knows his last name, and both are needed to sign with an animal. Naruto does not remember his, Namikaze, Uzumaki or otherwise, and if he tries to sign with only his first, the scroll will reject his bid. Names have power, and in giving your full name to the contract, you are giving the summons power over yourself as well. The same way in which the blood on your hands is the sacrifice in order to call forth a creature.

However, we can bypass the last name issue with a demonic contract. Just because they are cool that way, and they're part demon as it is.

ALSO: QUICK NOTE! There is a poll in my profile that has to do with chapter thirteen. Everyone please go and place your votes! The sooner I get more people, the sooner the next chapter comes out!

If you have any arguments as to your choice, you are welcome to PM me. I will always respond.

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING~!

Chapter Twelve: The Mist Thickens

* * *

"Yo yo yo! How be mah favorite little nephews?"

"Sanbi-jisan!"

Kyuubi couldn't help but grin at the pair as they embraced the wild looking Isonade. The three-tail was as feral as ever, dark blue hair falling back in untamed spikes down his back, while his blue skin had a healthy look, the rough scales freshly scrubbed for his nephews. Sharp teeth gleamed as he grinned at the boys, pulling them back to get a good look at them. "The older ya get, the more like real youkai ya look," he offered, ruffling wild hair with clawed-and-webbed hands.

Gaara smiled at the compliment, while Naruto growled as he tried to fix his hair. The Kyuubi was surprised at how close that growl was to his own, and his brow furrowed slightly. They _were_ becoming more like them every day. It was amazing to watch.

"Gaara is happy to be here!" the red head chirped, only to flinch at the look Kyuubi shot at him. They were trying to help him break the habit of talking in third person. "I mean, I'M happy to be here." Large green eyes flicked about, taking in the sight of the beach house. It wasn't as grand as the Kyuubi's mansion, but it had a rustic charm. It was the kind of beach house that would blend in with the type a more wealthy human would have, so if a human were to stumble on it, they wouldn't give it a second thought. Of course, the demon wasn't wealthy, mostly the luxury of a long life letting him slowly add onto the house.

"Well, if'n ya wanna ta take a load off, head on inside, and kick ya feet up!" Isonade offered, ignoring the wincing from the Kyuubi over his rather bad rapping. The boys ignored it though, racing in with the Hitodama that were carrying their bags. The first thing they were planning to do was hit the beach, thankful that it had been a warm day.

Sharp teeth flashed as the shark smirked at the older Bijuu. "Ah see Naruto still likes that tunic Ah sent 'im," he sneered, scratching at a scale on his hip.

"You utter bastard. Because of you, he's been wearing nothing _BUT_ orange! Do you know how disturbing it is for a hanyou to wear that color?"

"Ah know. That's why Ah got it for 'im."

A bright red eye narrowed in the Sanbi's direction, but they didn't say anything until the boys raced out again, both wearing swim trunks and whooping as they headed for the surf. A quick call for them not to go out too far, before they returned to glaring at each other, red and black and yellow eyes.

Kyuubi knew that as a guest in the Sanbi's territory, that he was now subject to the shark's laws. As the strongest of the Great Tailed Beasts, there was a little lee-way though. Finally, the Sanbi nodded, backing down as he spread his claws to the side. "And 'ow long was this vacation planned for?" he joked.

"A week," Ichibi chirped as he sauntered past, scroll in hand as he went to pick a room. Only to gag as the fox grabbed him by the back of the collar, effectively stopping him.

"Decorum, Shukaku, I know you know what that is."

"Fuck decorum, I want the sea-side room!"

"Actually, Ah think the boys have taken tha' one already," Isonade offered, conferring with a sea-green Hitodama.

"So unless you want to babysit them for the week, pick somewhere else," Kyuubi smirked.

Shukaku sighed, but nodded, passing his scroll back to his Hitodama, heading after the boys, stripping back down to his boxers. The fox smirked as he shook his head at the Tanuki; he'll break him to bit eventually. Red eyes turned to black. "I know you were summoning me for more than just to see the boys," he intoned.

The shark nodded, wandering towards the house. "You know that Ah'm in charge of Wave and the surrounding sea. This man, Gatou, has taken over mah main island, Ah'm not sure what to do with him." A shrug. "He's destroying the economy on the island, and his boats are scaring away the fish."

"Have any of the people been injured?"

"Multiple, including a few who were executed publically." He bared his teeth angrily, running his claws through his untamed hair. The hair fell messily over the fins of his ears. "A descendant of one of mah sons is asking one of the ninja villages for help, but they don't have the money to hire anyone strong enough."

The fox wrinkled his nose. "I cannot help you myself, but nor will I allow this man free reign. If we happen upon him our those who work for him, they will not survive the encounter."

"Do Ah have permission to hunt Gatou down?"

"Only if he sets foot on your land again."

~...~...~...~

Shukaku sighed as he watched the boys in the surf. They'd been in the Land of Waves for the past four days, and he was bored out of his one, there were no hot women in this area! And the boys had learned most of the jutsu from the Scroll of Seals, but what was left was too advanced for them at the moment. True to its name, the rest of the scroll was filled with forbidden seals.

Including the theory of using customized seals to seal demons, or raise the dead...

Those seals alone made the demons very nervous, so they refused to teach them to the boys until they were much much older. Like, minutes before they died, older. However, the other jutsu were mostly chakra-intensive, and therefor, within their grasp, barring a handful that required sacrifices of blood. Even a few theories on using half seals, which was included in a few of the techniques. Naruto had found a plaything in the Kage Bunshin, while Gaara was an artist with the sand manipulation technique. Curious, the boys had also experimented with chakra types, trying to see what they were more proficient at. Kyuubi had been slightly disappointed that Naruto leaned more towards wind than flame, but Shukaku was surprised and strangely proud that Gaara seemed to be an Earth type like himself.

The fox thought this only added to his theories, but he wasn't about to tell the younger demon he thought Gaara was of Shukaku's bloodline. Yet.

He glanced up at the sun, checking it's position, before putting away an erotic scroll. _(Vixen-on-Vixen, he was soooo glad he'd managed to save this.)_ "Boys, time to go in!" he snapped, wiping sand from his legs as he stood.

Only to groan as the pair smirked at him, and poofed out. Shadow Clones, Naruto's work. "Shit!"

Out in the forest, the pair were snickering as they raced up a pair of trees, sticking to the bark, only for Naruto to flinch for a second. "Shukaku knows!" he yelped, grabbing at a branch as he lost control for a second.

"Then we need to go farther into the forest!" Gaara chirped, landing softly in the grass. It had become a game to them, 'Ditch Shukaku!' and while they had yet to win, (ie, stay out all night,) they got better every time.

They didn't mean to, they had listened when Kyuubi told them not to get too close to the human village, _'You don't know these people, they're not like the Fire villagers,'_ but before they knew it, they were on the outskirts of the small town. Gaara shifted nervously. They could see the edge of the village from the trees, and he turned to Naruto, who was watching curiously. "Kyuu-tou-san warned us away, let's go back Naruto," he whispered.

"Hold on, I wanna see," the blond muttered, watching a feral looking boy with a small puppy on the porch of a hut. Only to flinch back as they both turned to look at them in the trees. As one, the pair of hanyou slid back into the safety of the forest, hiding from the other boy. Not that they would admit this. It was a strategic retreat.

~...~...~...~

Kiba frowned as the orange blur retreated. He didn't think he saw anyone the other day wearing that color. He moved to check it out, only to stop as Akamaru yipped at him, reminding him that he was to head for the bridge for guard duty. Later then, he figured.

~...~...~...~

The boys gave a sigh of relief as the dog-boy wandered off, puppy by his side. "That was too close Naruto, Gaara thinks we should go back," he said, glancing back at the village, as if knowing that the other boy would jump out at them any minute.

Naruto nodded after a minute, absently poking Gaara at the third-person-usage. That had been a bit too close for comfort. Before the pair could retreat to the beach, a crash came from a little farther in the tree line. As one, the pair leaped into the foliage, hiding in the leaves as they listened intently for any more sounds.

"Dammit Sai, watch who you're landing on!"

"Sorry Busu, I guess I just missed you while falling from the tree."

Like a pair of feral cats, the two boys inched closer to the commotion, curious despite themselves. Their friendship with Hinata kept reminding them that not all humans were bad, although for Naruto, that was all the interaction with humans he'd ever had. Chakra suppressed, they peeked out of the foliage to get a good look at the noisemakers.

The only girl in the trio was scowling as she tried to help one of her teammates back to his feet. She was in pretty, yet practical clothes, a red tunic-dress with a white circle on the bottom of the front and back, and athletic shorts underneath it. But was really caught their eyes was her hair. A long plait of bright pink hair that made her green eyes sparkle. Gaara was the most curious, part of him wondering if it was as soft as it looked.

Green eyes that were sparking angrily at the boy on the ground. "You idiot, how did you hurt yourself with that fall?" she snapped, helping him to his feet. Where she was bright colors, Sai was all black and pales, black hair, black eyes, and black outfit that consisted of a middrift-baring shirt and pants that fell an inch above dark sandals. His skin was the pasty pale of paper, but that may have also been from the pain as he clutched at his ankle.

A vapid smile. "I must have stumbled over you, Busu," he offered.

Sighing, the girl levered the boy up to his feet, draping an arm over her shoulders. "Come on, let's go see Kurenai or Kakashi-sensei." She sighed. "Hope Kakashi-sensei's feeling better already."

Even as the ninja pair stumbled away, _("Don't start thinking that I like you Sai,")_ Naruto and Gaara all but fell out of the tree at a new voice. "And just who are you?"

As one, the boys backed away, Naruto baring developing fangs as they flanked this new person. Too late to run, best to be ready to fight!

Startled, the other boy dropped from the tree, jumping back to try and break the trap, only for the two hanyou to follow, ready to tear into him at a moment's notice. "Who the Hell are you two?" he snapped, falling into a defensive stance, fists raised against claw-like fingers.

Gaara sneered as he crouched, left hand in the half Uma, right in the half Usagi, ready to call forth sand from the beach. In the back of his mind, he wondered if there was an easier way to get the sand needed for his favorite jutsu. "This one does not know who you are, but two against one are not fair odds," he offered, part of him wanting to warn him back, and a larger part of him trying to scare him. The boys had really been living with the Bijuu for too long.

Sasuke kept looking back and forth from one boy to the next. Feral was his first conclusion, fighters was the second. Long blond and red hair, barely tied back and encrusted with salt. Deep marks on a pair of cheeks and rings under another pair of eyes. Faded if well kept tunics of blue and orange and red and brown, and hands held out like claws in a way that was oddly familiar...

Arrogance was something familiar to fall back on. "Is clawing people how you say hi here, or am I just special?"

They blinked at this, realizing how quick they had jumped to attack. Slowly, they relaxed, hands falling to their sides as they moved back a few steps, moving from aggressive to wary-neutral. "We're not from here," Naruto finally growled, allowing his hair to fall over his face. He wasn't sure if this young ninja counted as an adult in the eyes of his father, so he just didn't want to give him too good a look at himself. Gaara, always the smart one, had already thought of this in using 'this one' instead of his name.

"I would hope not. You've got more fire left than the rest of the village."

The red head blinked, his head tilting slightly. "It is truly that badly off?" he asked quietly. They had overheard Uncle Isonade talking about some 'asshole Gatou destroyin' mah islands!' but they thought he was just being theatrical. Again. Sasuke shrugged, acting nonchalant, but the boys could see the subtle tension in his shoulders. Living as a ward of the leader of a village had taught him not only how a small village like this was important for imports, but it had also drilled a sense of empathy into him that was rare in an Uchiha.

Rudely, Naruto suddenly got into the boy's face, sniffing loudly. Sasuke gave him a cross look, but he held still, being too used to Kiba's behavior, although it just added to his conclusion that this one was quite feral. His brow furrowed. "Hey, Hito, can you smell that?" he muttered.

Curious, Gaara leaned in closer to the other boy, sniffing a little more sedately. He shook his head after a second though. "Nothing, Kokono," he offered, using a numerical nickname like Naruto had started.

Sasuke frowned. First and Ninth? The more he learned about these boys, the more they confused him! "What _are_ you talking about?"

Naruto blinked in confusion, unable to understand why he could tell that not only did this boy normally live with a single older man who smelled weirdly familiar, but that he was currently boarding with four other males, one twice his age, and that he spent a lot of time with two of the males and the pinkette from before, as well as two other females, one who was very familiar. And for some reason, tomatoes. His eyes wandered as the world seemed to open up to him as he noticed his new sense of smell. The salt from the sea that coated everything, weapons, clothes, skin and hair. Rotten fish from the docks nearby. Herbs and flowers from within the forest. He swallowed hard; the game Ditch Shukaku was over for the day, they needed to talk to Tou-san.

"What, were you talking about?"

Blue eyes flicked up, glaring half-heartedly at the young man. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"Sasuke-kun! You still out here? Kakashi-sensei says it's our turn at the bridge!" Sasuke turned to look for Sakura for half a second, but that seemed to have been enough for the feral boys. As soon as he turned back, the clearing was empty, but for a few leaves dancing in a dying wind.

~...~...~...~

"Well, we did not expect this for a few more months, but it seems you have hit a new tier of power."

Naruto frowned as he held his arm, trying not to break down from the stress. On their way home, his hearing had spiked as well, right as they were rinsing off in the ocean no less, and the fox half expected that his blue eyes would hold a surprise for the boy soon as well. "Why? Or even how Tou-san? I mean, I could tell what his favorite food was, and that he uses a scent-less soap," he said, trying not to wail. This was too much to take in all at once! He took a deep breath as he tried to calm down, Gaara placing a hand on his shoulder.

The fox sighed as he placed a hand on Naruto's head, letting the boy take comfort from his presence, and that of his friend next to him. Gaara was still a little confused, but at the rate they were growing, he half expected the Sand-child to hit the same tier before the end of the week, the month at most. "You've been living with me ever since you were a kit in arms. My youki has been slowly integrating within yours, and changing you." Red eyes were proud as he grinned, fangs poking out from thin lips. "Congratulations, you've just become a true Hanyou," he offered, grinning proudly.

"A true Hanyou?"

"Enhanced senses, harder to kill, and that much stronger," he all but chirped. "It will be interesting next time you train or hunt." He turned to Gaara. "You, are only a few weeks behind him, so as soon as you start to notice new smells, tell us."

"A TRUE Hanyou? You mean I'm not a demon?" The fox froze at the wounded tone from his son, turning slowly to look at the hurt visage of the little blond. "I mean, I know I can't transform or do most of the cool stuff you can, but I always figured I'd be able to when I got older, and I always knew Gaara was human too. But I can't because I'm not your son?"

"Naruto," Kyuubi hesitated, before reaching for his son again, only for him to take a step back. The youngster looked like his entire world had been destroyed from under him. "Naruto, I found you when you were a few months old, at most. You had been stolen, but I saved you from ninja who would have hurt you. And then, I grew to care for you like a true son of my line."

"But I'm NOT a son of your line! I'm not even a youkai!" The little blond was furious now, as well as scared. "You never told me, never! I never knew who my real parents were, because of you! They could be dead for all I know, YOU could have killed them!" Tears flowed from blue eyes as the boy held back sobs, overwrought after such a long day and too many new twists. "I Hate You!" he screamed one final time before turning and dashing out of the villa, ignoring the approaching Isonade who yelped as he dodged, strings of fish dancing in his hands.

"Naruto!"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Nephew, where're ya goin'?"

He ignored them as he raced away, unable to stand being around his family at the moment. The wind whistling through his ears wasn't strong enough to disguise the familiar ignition and shuushing of Kyuubi and the just-returned Shukaku transforming, shedding their mortal facades in a flurry of fire and sand to chase after the cub. "Go Away!" he yelled, heading for the tree line. If they were at home, he'd been caught within seconds. But all the time he and Gaara had spent exploring Isonade's territory gave him the slight advantage he needed to stay ahead of the pair.

A flurry of sand as the Tanuki, clad in pale and black fur tried to cut him off, the younger Bijuu confused, but knowing that the boy he had come to see as the next best thing to a nephew shouldn't be running from him and his father. "Naruto, stop! What's gotten into yo-" He groaned as he slid down the tree he had just run into. _'I'm a demon of sand, not trees dammit!' _he thought groggily as he shook the stars from his eyes, not noticing Kyuubi streak past him.

Red eyes were all but panicky as the fox tried to cut his son off, fiery form dodging through unfamiliar trees and over strange rock formations. "Stop, son please!" he called, ignoring the minor pains of thorns being driven up into his paws, or the whipping of branches over his muzzle. He peered through eyes that were clouded from debris-

-and felt his heart stop, at the sight of the cliff ahead of them.

"Naruto!"

The boy didn't even look at him as he took a step, and launched himself into the air, eyes closed as he fell into the mist around the base of the cliff in a controlled plummit. At once, he disappeared from sight, and the fox could only howl as he searched for any sign of his son. A cry of pain echoed through the mist, reaching the ears of those working on the bridge miles away, as a scrap of orange cloth hung limply from a branch in the cliff side.


	13. Thicker Than Water

For those who thought Naruto's reaction to be extreme, consider this. Naruto thought he was ALREADY a demon like the Kyuubi. He didn't know that he was human. It is the same principle of wild children who don't even know they're human, they think they're animals. Now yes, he has seen humans before, but they are the same shape as Kyuubi's mortal form. The main difference, is that he knows Kyuubi can do other things like change into a large fox. He thinks he'll be able to do the same later in life when he gets stronger, and in a way, I was planning to give him something similar. But at the moment, he is heart-broken to know that in a world that places a LOT of emphasis of blood lines and clans, that he has no true relation to the demon who has raised him.

He will come around later, part of the reason I did this was to introduce on of my favorite side characters, but for the moment, he doesn't know who he truly is anymore.

Also, as of Dec. 6th, 2010, the story has:

**Hits: 106,040**

**Alerts: 751**

**Favs: 668**

**C2s: 58**

**And reviews: 506. **

All my love to EVERYONE who helped to make this story popular!

Let it also be known, that it's been a while since I've seen/read the beginning of the bridge fight, so it may be a little different.

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING~!

Chapter Thirteen: Thicker Than Water

* * *

"Sensei, what was that sound earlier?"

Kurenai shook her head as she cradled a bowl of plain rice and some of the fish she and the other ninja had speared while on guard duty. "I'm not sure. It sounded like a wounded animal. A wolf maybe."

_'Or, m-maybe a fox,'_ Hinata thought, frowning into her fish. Across from her, Sasuke and Kiba were glaring at each other as they wolfed down their food, ignorant of the girls' mental distress. With a sigh, she gave a poke at the chakra point in Kiba's side, making him yelp as it seized up for a few seconds. "Stop Kiba-kun, please don't b-bicker," she murmured as he turned to glare at her. With a sigh, the boy sat back down, eating more sedately again.

"Tomorrow, my team will have the early shift at the bridge," Kakashi ordered from his place against the wall. He had recovered well from his earlier fight with Zabuza, and had calculated that the Nuke-nin would attack them within the next two days. What he was truly worried about was the strange Hunter that was apparently with the Mist-nin. They knew nothing of his strengths, weakness, or anything he was capable outside of senbon.

"Why does it matter?"

Oh boy. Attack of the emo-kid again. Hinata was never gladder that she had no true pupils. It made it hard for Inari to notice that she was rolling her eyes in disgust at him. _'In disgust? Wow, Naruto and Gaara really HAD rubbed off on me!'_ she thought. The young man had good reasons to be morose yes, seeing your surrogate father killed in front of you was a good reason, but anyone warrior-raised would have fought back long before this. Even Hinata, considered the weakest of the Main Family, was more of a fighter than the strongest member of this village.

Inari scowled at the ninja, arms crossed as he pushed away from the table. "It doesn't matter how hard you fight, you're all just gonna die anyway!" he snapped as he stormed out of the hut.

Multiple sighs. Hinata shook her head as she quickly, yet delicately as befitting a lady, finished her food. "Thank you for the meal," she offered before following after the boy.

Outside, the moon was full, reflecting off the rippling water right off the dock. Inari was sitting right next to the dock, head in his arms as he cried. She held back a sigh as she sat down next to him, placing an arm around small shoulders. "You want to talk about it?" she asked softly. When the boy refused to talk, she put her head down as she gave his shoulders a squeeze. "You're not the only one to have lose someone. M-my mother passed away when I was five, and m-my cousin blames me for the death of his father. I'm considered the weakest in m-my clan."

A little head raised slightly, and she could see a glint of the moonlight in his wet eyes. "how do you stand it?" he asked softly.

"I have people who care for m-me. M-my Sensei, my team mates, and my friends. And you do too." His head came up fully at this, sleeve scrubbing at his tear-stained face. "Your m-mother and grandfather love you, and are willing to fight to protect you," she offered.

"But Gatou will hurt them."

"Only if you let him." Pale eyes shined as she grinned, head held high. "Gatou is just one man. Your village c-could easily drive him out. Those under his employ are bonded by m-money only. Your people are bonded by trust and love." She smiled as she patted his shoulder. "And in the end, you have us too."

~...~...~...~

Out in the forest, the first rays of light crawled over the landscape, alighting the trees and forest floor. Leaves started glowing as the pure light shined through them, highlighting the veins and patches within their delicate framework. Diurnal animals slowly crept from their burrows, nibbling at the foliage as the sunlight warmed cramped muscles and loosened wings. The world was a peaceful place as the more nocturnal creatures retreated, owls glaring at the forest as they drifted off.

And in the crook of a pine tree, a patch of worn and ripped orange curled up within itself, ignoring the cheerful songs of the small flock around it. Naruto had not had a good night. The temperature had dropped much lower than it had the other night, and the worn Haori had done a poor job in keeping in warmth. He wasn't sure he wanted to endure another such night. His knees creaked as he dropped from the tree, and his arms wrapped around himself as he struggled to warm up. Luckily, the sun helped him with this as he leaned back against the pine.

"What am I gonna do now?" he muttered, head propped up on his arms. No matter how cold it got, he didn't want to go back. He was still angry, hurt, and feeling betrayed by the Kyuubi. Twelve years, almost thirteen, and never a hint as to his true origins! All the time that he could have spent looking for his birth parents...

He twirled a blond strand of hair in front of his eyes, crystals of salt encrusted within it crackling under his fingers. His vivid imagination, the tool that made his genjutsu so very effective, conjured the image of a tall blond man with the same hair color. He wondered if it was long like his, or short and choppy. Was the man proud and stern, or a happy-go-lucky person like himself? A mother was next, but living with the Kyuubi for so long, he couldn't help but superimpose that shocking bright red hair and Gaara's blue eyes on a smiling face. Defining details were lost in a haze, and he struggled to hold the image.

He shook his head after a moment. No use lingering over a pipe dream, as Aunt Nibi wou- but she wasn't his aunt! And knowing his so-called 'father', she'd be here soon in a blaze of well-meaning glory to help search for him. Naruto slowly stood, his muscles creaking in protest as he prepared to move out. He was still too close to the Sanbi's home for his own comfort.

Only to pause at the sound of footsteps in dew-soaked grass. After living with them for so long, he knew the sound of Gaara and Kyuubi's strides, their scents, and their chakra. This person was someone he had never met before. Six years of instincts as a prankster told the boy to hide, and he quietly slipped back up into the tree.

It looked like a girl. It was dressed like a girl. Even it's low humming sounded like a girl. But his new nose told him that this was a boy down there, only a few years older than himself. A boy who smelled of steel, sharpening oil, and the clean scent of snow, a rarity in Fire Country. Dark hair cascaded down his back, not as shiny as Hinata's, but thick and healthy either way. Brown eyes were sharp in a way that no civilian could imitate as he picked out the plants that he wanted; medical herbs that Naruto remembered the Gobi pointing out for him and Gaara. Obviously, someone the boy knew was injured.

Naruto hesitated. Every instinct told him to hide, that he was not supposed to talk to humans. _'But I AM a human. Might as well get used to being around more than Gaara and Hinata,' _he reasoned, fingers digging into the bark of the branch he held. Still, he paused, blue eyes curious as the boy below stretched, enjoying the early morning sunlight as he stood up straight. A rabbit, still clad in the pure white coat of winter despite the early summer, hopped up to the young man, nuzzling against an ankle. Smiling, the young ninja crouched, running thin fingers through the soft fur, thin pale scars standing out against the emerald green of the grass. Slowly, the young hanyou slipped from the tree, inching closer to the other boy, even as the rabbit raced away at the sight of him.

Haku was curious as he watched the new child in front of him. He reminded him of himself years ago, a scared, quiet little creature that was trying not to cower as he approached. Bright blue eyes were curious as he slid up, crouching next to him as he offered an herb. "Thank you," he offered, setting the little plant in the basket with the others. "Who are you? I don't think I've seen you in the village before." He'd had to go in before the first attempt against Tazuna's caravan. They didn't trust the food at Gatou's base.

"I don't live there," the little blond offered.

"Then where are you from?"

Those startling blue eyes flicked away. "I don't want to talk about it, I'm not going back anyway."

Oooh? That caught Haku's attention, and he turned to look the other boy in the eye. "Why not?"

Naruto turned away, resting his chin on folded arms. For a few minutes, he didn't say a word, and Haku allowed him to gather his thoughts. He shook his head after a second. "Do you know what it's like, to be betrayed and lied to by the one who was your world? By someone who was always there, and who you thought only wanted the best for you?"

"Yes." Naruto looked up from his pity party in surprise. The effeminate teen smiled sadly as he looked away to the side. "I was born in a snowy little village in the Land of Mist. My parents were good, kind people. But, Mist is known for its fear of those from Kekkei Genkai, bloodline limits. My mother, was from such a clan. And when I came into my powers, my father killed my mother, then tried to kill me. I killed him first."

"But, she lied! She lied about who she was, and what you are!"

Ink-colored eyes lifted to lock with sky blue, a small, knowing smile on thin lips. Despite himself, Naruto gulped; he was entering the stage of his life when girls were starting to get interesting, and this teen was screwing with his head! "I have someone who is precious to me know, someone I would gladly give my life for. He helps to define me as a person, as my parents did before him." Delicate hands rested on his knees. "But it is not the actions of others that truly define us as people, it is our own actions. And, just because my mother lied, just because whomever raised you lied, doesn't mean they cared any less for us."

"He lied about everything though. About who he is, what I am, even my s-" he cut himself off. Even if he doesn't go back to the Bijuu, it was still not smart for him to even discuss the existence of demons. He shook his head. "For all I know, he's the reason my true parents are dead."

"But maybe he saved you, from something even worse. Maybe there was an accident, and you were the only one to survive. It doesn't change the fact that he raised you, didn't he?"

"As his own. Practically his heir." Naruto looked away, worrying his lip between his teeth. Haku couldn't help but notice the canines that were longer and sharper than a normal human's, but not enough to be considered truly strange. The Inuzuka boy from before'd had longer fangs. "I know what you're trying to say. I should grateful that he took me in. It just, it was a shock! I knew Gaara was adopted, he joined us when we were five. But, it never crossed my mind that he wasn't my Tousan." The boy sighed. "I just don't know what to do."

A hand patted his elbow. "Is he precious to you? The one you left behind?" When Naruto paused, the older teen smiled knowingly. "When the time comes, you'll know what to do." He collected the basket in his arms, standing gracefully. "When the times comes, you'll know if you have the strength, to protect those that you consider precious."

~...~...~...~

"It's been two days, and we've yet ta find Naruto. Where could he be?"

Gaara shook his head as he marched besides his 'uncle' Sanbi. The little red-head was scared for Naruto, the closest thing he'd ever had to a real brother. He hadn't even been very close to Kankuro, which made it feel worse to the young man. For the little blond to be so well hidden, he must be using every trick the pair knew.

The shark grimaced as he took a deep whiff of the salty air, the little ginger at his hip sniffing along besides him. The stress of the past few days had triggered his own abilities, and he was using them to try and find the blonde. Even as a Hanyou, Gaara's nose was better than the Isonade, whose nose was designed for underwater use. His knowledge of his territory made up for it, which was why he was coupled with the Sand-child. The other two were blessed with stronger noses, and as such were out by themselves, even with only a passing knowledge of the area.

"Will Naruto be ok?"

Isonade flinched at the boy's voice, then turned down to look at the young hanyou. "Well, there aren' any animals that can be cansidered a threat. It's just-"

"It's just what?"

The Sanbi shook his head. "Well, as long as he stays away from tha village or tha bridge, he'll be fine." He turned to the young man after a second, black eyes narrowing. "You two HAVE been stayin' away from tha village, right?"

Gaara's nervous shifting was all the information the shark needed. At the sight of the disappointed look, Gaara shook his head. "We were only near it for a few minutes! And Gaara made Naruto back off when we saw someone!" he protested, ignorant of his lapse in speech.

"Do you think he'd be ther'?"

"Gaa- I doubt it. There were ninja over there." He ignored the fact that they had seen more than the one, and that the one Genin had sneaked up on them.

_'Must be the ones my descendant hired to take care of Gatou,'_ Isonade figured. Mentally, he ordered two of his Hitodama to hunt down the other Bijuu, while sending the last one towards the village. They had been avoiding the village themselves, so it was the last place to look. "Come on, let's check out tha bridge."

~...~...~...~

It was the safest place to spend the night. He'd been chased out of his tree by a pack of feral dogs. It didn't mean that the pillar under the bridge was very comfortable. Naruto did have to admit, he mused as he stretched, leaning precariously out of his perch, it was warmer than the tree had been the other night.

The screams from overhead awoke him fully, and he crouched instinctively as a trickle of blood dripped off the edge of the bridge. Chakra was immediately tamped down as far as he could, and sharp fingernails scratched at the pillar as he held a breath. He sensed a pair of chakra, strong and bright, dancing in and about the weaker signals of the workers, a deadly dance amid the screams and splatters. Around the edges of the bridge, the single trickle was joined by more, a disturbing waterfall of life's blood.

As the screams stopped, a whisper of breath re-inflated frozen lungs. His eyes darted to the shore; he wasn't that far out. If he could get to the shore, than he could hide in the forest. Nothing would ever catch him in his own element. Slowly, he uncurled from his crouch, a trickle of chakra collecting at his feet, as he prepared to drop to the water.

"The Hell are you?"

Naruto yelped as he was roughly pulled up unto the bridge, a callused hand wrapped around his neck. Fear paralyzed him for only half a second, then the hanyou started fighting and frothing like a wild animal. His training never covered the hold that this man had on his neck, and the boy was panicking as he tried to break free.

Only to freeze at the massive blade that swung up and across his front, pressing against his throat. A low hum. "A village boy? Or something more?"

"Oh. It's you again."

Wild blue eyes flicked over towards the familiar voice. A young man dressed in brown and blue, with a white mask with a swirl, and the symbol for the Village Hidden in the Mist. But that familiar chakra, the clean sense of snow, told him that it was the boy from yesterday. "You."

The mask titled minutely, before the young man turned to look at the taller Ninja. "He is no threat. You can let him go."

"He's ninja-trained, and you say no threat?"

"He's a waif. Homeless. The one I met in the forest yesterday. He's no threat."

"But we are."

A whirl and a flurry of leaves. A handful of newcomers, all dressed as Ninja of Konoha. Two older, probably the squad leaders, a man and a woman, standing in front of four boys and a girl. Naruto recognized the one boy as the one who had been cornered by he and Gaara the other day.

Naruto took the distraction, and twisted out of the older Ninja's grip, striking at a pressure point in his arm with curled fingers. The point in the man's arm would only work for a few minutes because he didn't apply any chakra to the attack, but it would still paralyze the arm long enough for him to run if need be.

Zabuza growled at the little blonde as he tried to shake some feeling back into his limb. "Little bastard," he snarled, hand twitching at the pins and needles that traveled throughout the limb.

Panic made him stronger, and Naruto gulped as he backed farther away, eyes wide as he settled down in a stance. He and Gaara had been training for years, but until now, he had never been in a true fight. However, this was his first time faced with true combat, and his hands shook as he slowly forced himself to calm, to center like Tou- like KYUUBI taught him.

But he was his father. Blood or not, the fox was his father as much as Gaara was his brother. He didn't know when he would go back to them, but he resolved that if he survived this, that he would try to get back to his family.

Across the bridge, the ninja were all but ignoring the blond as they spread out, Sakura and Shino flanking the old man Tazuna, who had come to the bridge with the Konoha-nin. Sasuke though, was surprised to recognize the blond as one of the two boys from the other day, the ones who had threatened him in the forest. The Nuke-nin were much more dangerous so he decided to ignore the blond until he acted like a threat.

A moment of intelligence had Naruto slowly backing away, heading towards the end of the bridge and the open sea. If he could just get far enough away, he could try to summon any of the thirteen Hitodama that_ had_ to be searching for him. Water made the Sanbi a safe bet, but his familiarity with the Nine made any of the Kyuubi's servant flames just as likely.

His foot went into open air, and he stumbled as he lurched forward, trying to stay on the bridge, even as Jounin clashed and Genin collided, a violent updraft of copper-drenched mist and iron-tinted ice. One of the Genin from the Leaf, the pale young man with the belly-shirt and the short sword at his hip, went down with a series of needles piercing porcelain skin at the neck and within his chest. The pinkette and the boy in the coat ushered Tazuna farther from the battle, moving him a little closer to Naruto, but the young man kept a wary bug-eye on the blonde. His colonies didn't want to get close to the hanyou at all, although Shino didn't know why this was. All he knew, was that the frightened blonde seemed to be the lesser of the three different evils.

Naruto tried his best to calm his heart, hand clenched over the organ, beating like a timpani drum behind his ribs. He wasn't sure why his heart was going so fast, he himself had calmed down now that he was farther away from the fight. A sharp wrench of pain, and he groaned as he crumbled to a knee, both hands over his chest now. Meters away from him, the Genin pair were trying to watch both fights and the demon boy at the same time, but they still missed the point were the pain condensed into a flame, hovering gently in front of curious eyes that were starting to slit vertically. A soft squeak. The gentlest of brushes over dirty skin. "Wow..."

~...~...~...~

A few miles to the North, a red head went up, eyes wide at the sudden sense of a new spirit.

To the East, A blonde head popped up, golden eyes training towards the bridge.

And the closest to the bridge, right off shore by only a mile, black eyes the color of pitch turned to the West, sharp teeth revealed as the Guardian of Wave felt, and knew.

~...~...~...~

A new development distracted the Hanyou from the weak flame. A new arrival. He ushered the un-named Hitodama - what else could it be?- into his hair, whispering for it to hold on. He squinted as he inched forward, hands flipping through a series of signs. It was one of the new Genjutsu from the scroll, placed in there because it was far too easy for one to get stuck within it and then go insane. But the boys had spotted each other in training, and Naruto gritted his teeth now as the world came quickly and violently into brighter focus.

A new fighter had joined the Genin, lips forming the words, 'had to fight off a pair of thugs,' before she moved and her mouth was hidden from sight. But it was enough to shock the boy out of the self-inflicted Genjutsu. Hinata was here!

Only to scream as she fell, needles driving through her back as ice mirrors were thrown up. They trapped the body of the girl and the two remaining boys within a grid of silvery-blue, reflecting not the sight of suddenly red eyes, but the masked visage of the boy from earlier.

It didn't matter how scared he was. It didn't matter that the demons had warned him away from humans, or that the young man had helped him the day before. Naruto was suddenly swept up in a rage of beserker fury, snarling as he charged. Before he could break through, the Uchiha collapsed, needles sprouting form his limbs as he tried to break free. The boy with the dog was still on his feet, if only barely. A mirror shattered as the Hanyou dove in, eyes bleeding red and whisker marks thickening and growing on his cheeks. He landed over the collapsed body of his friend, hands clawed and teeth bared as he howled at the boy in the ice. The Mist-nin tried to talk, but every sound that issued from the teen only served to enrage the blond further. Kiba backed as far away as he could. He knew the signs of a beserker, his clan was infamous for them. The boy had lost human speech, which was a sign to get the 'Hell outta Fire,' as his Kaasan would have described it.

Sasuke struggled to stay awake as he watched the pair. He didn't understand the state the boy was in, all he knew was that there was a sudden explosion of movement, and the boys were outside of the mirrors, a clawed fist ramming into the ceramic mask. Around the Genin pair, the remaining mirrors started to droop and drip and melt, releasing them back into the world as the mist began to clear to the sound of growls and chirping birds. The sensation of lightning in the air alerted the group to the technique, but when Haku tried to teleport to the fight, Naruto punched him in the face again, revealing the bruised visage of the Mist-nin to the rest of the world.

The older boy groaned as his head bounced off of the bridge, a trickle down the back of his scalp revealing the presence of a wound. Before he could move, his hands were pined to the ground, and the blonde was snarling over him, eyes red and slitted and hair spiked and fluffy like an animal. _"Why?" _he slurred roughly, voice impeded by the enlarged fangs. _"Why did you kill her?_" Those startling eyes turned back to look at the form of his friend. Dark hair was pooled around her head, senbon sticking out of her neck, chest and joints. There was remarkably little blood, only a trickle from the side of her mouth. _"She was my friend."_

Haku shook his head before sinking away, going through a mirror of frozen blood. So surprised, that Naruto lost his grip on the boy, but the jerk of his wrists from Naruto's grasp was enough to push the boy into a different path on the other side of the mirror. As he exited on the other side of the bridge into Kakashi's attack, he wasn't speared through the heart, but he was instead hit through the meat of his shoulder. The pain from the handful of lightning back him scream, collapsing to the ground as the electricity jolted his heart and rendered his arm useless.

Even with the young man taking the attack, Kakashi had enough momentum to turn the thrust into a punch, clocking Zabuza squarely across the jaw. The heavy weight of the dogs helped to drag the man to the ground, and Kurenai pounced, wrapping ninja wire around his wrists. The taller Nin crouched in front of the Nukenin, kunai pressed against his neck. "If you're lucky your arms will work again. If you surrender now, you and your partner will live," he offered, ignorant of the rolling mist coming off the sea. From the North, the faint call of a wild beast echoed through the air, and Naruto's head cleared for a second in recognition.

All was forgotten at the sound of laughter from the bridge. The eyes of those still awake all turned as one, taking in the sight of a short man walking out of the fog. Short, balding, and his arm wrapped in a cast, Gatou was not the most intimidating of characters. The mob of hired goons behind him was a different story though. "The Demon of the Mist, eh?" he called, refusing to get too close to the Ninja. "More like a baby demon at the most!"

"Think you could take him Kurenai?"

"I'm tapped out, I used to many Genjutsu earlier during the fight. You?"

"Enough for a few more minutes of the Sharingan, but not much more after that."

_**"IF YOU WISH TA BEHOLD AH TRUE DEMON, THEN COME TA ME GATOU!"**_

The booming voice was startling, and came from off the side of the bridge. The water had been thrown up, the waves violently bashing against the side of the bridge. And on the waves, walked the form of a young man. Blue skin, the same color as an infamous Nukenin Zabuza once knew, was soaked with the salt water of the sea, turning it into a darker shade. He was clad in a surprisingly stately kimono, covered in wave patterns only a few shades lighter than his own skin. Dark blue hair fell in spikes down his back, the water making them clump so that they looked like a row of spines. But those eyes, the pitch black of a shark, a hunter that sees you as food and not as a person, those eyes were fixed on Gatou. Sharp teeth were revealed as the man sneered.

"IMAGINE, AH WAS LOOKIN' FOR MAH NEPHEW, AND AH FIND THA YOU'RE WITHIN MAH GRASP!" he boomed, landing on the rail of the bridge as a final wave crashed over the side of the structure. He scowled now as he flexed clawed hands. His Hitodama appeared in a flurry of blues and green. "For Too Long, I Have Been Unable To Protect My Lands Because I Have Been Unable To Find You." The scowl turned into a sneer as he grabbed the man by the collar of his suit. "Come, Let Me Show You Mah Appreciation For All Youra Deeds," he offered silkily, before turning and throwing him off of the bridge. With an echoing howl, he swan dived after him, his form expanding before he even hit the water. The Ninja up still on the bridge watched in horror as the Bijuu reappeared, a giant turtle with three segmented tails and a heavily armored jaw throwing the tattered body of Gatou into the air. They heard one last scream before a CRUNCH, then silence as that monstrous head sank back beneath the waves.

Naruto shook his head. The sight of his Uncle had helped to calm him, and as the blood-lust started to fade, he heard the faint sound of someone breathing. His own breath caught. Could it be? A shaky hand reached out for Hinata, right as she took a shuddering breath, reinflating empty lungs.

"aniki!"

His head went up, looking out across the sea. A small figure was standing on the opposite shore, a familiar figure with a shock of red hair who paced like he wanted to cross the water. The whirlpool left by the Sanbi was keeping him firmly on dry land. He was interrupted by the sound of the rabble.

"Hey! That was our meal ticket that just went over the side!" one man yelled, a sword balanced on his shoulder. "Now, I think we need to raid the village just to get the money we were promised! And I think," he pointed the weapon at Naruto, who was glaring at the men, "that we'll start with the little one there."

_"You will Not Touch Anyone!"_

"Kami-sama, what now?"

'Now', was the mist being burned away. Now, was an enraged father. Now, was the Kyuubi stepping onto the bridge, red tails lashing through the air, ears pinned back against his skull, and paws and fangs ready to rip and rend at mortal flesh. Red eyes flicked up at the ninja for half a second, before a massive paw lashed out, knocking half of the mob over the rail. The rest of the thugs screamed in horror as the fox attacked, blood sheeting over the side of the bridge as limbs were torn and bodies broken. The lead man only had time for one final scream before his skull popped in the Kyuubi's jaws like a grape.

A flick of a tail, and a wave crashed over the bridge, washing away blood and flesh. The limp bodies of Zabuza and Haku were whisked away as well, something that the Konoha-nin wouldn't notice until later. As the water receded, the Ninja looked up, only to see nothing but empty mist before them, the demon having escaped with his son on his back.


	14. Fresh Growth

Break out the marshmallows people! I just got ANOTHER flame! Course, with how long it took to gt this chapter out, I half expect more...

_Dhh;_  
_The only thing I have to comment on was; during the FIRST chapter, you made_  
_Minato out to be AFRAID and WEAK and POWERLESS against Hiashi as IF that was_  
_NORMAL! That was totally ** up and lame! I mean, a Hokage, esp Minato, being_  
_AFRAID if Hiashi..If you were going for WEAK and pathetic when it comes to_  
_Minato, congratulations, you've TOTALLY succeeded!_  
_Also, dragging the whole meeting of Naruto and having him REPLACED by Sasuke_  
_is also a ** thing to do._  
_This story started with that whole Minato and Hiashi scene JUST doesn't endear_  
_it too me at all._  
_What a TRASH!_

Ok, first off, I commend you for leaving a signed review. The last person to flame me didn't, and as you will see later, I used his cowardice to settle our differences within the chapter itself. That being said, I will do the same to you, but mostly in case other readers feel similarly as you do.

Secondly, I am impressed as well that you correctly spelled everything, although the same can not be said about your grammar. You wanted to say, What a PIECE of TRASH, not What a TRASH. If you are going to flame someone, at least do it properly.

Thirdly, Minato does not fear Hiashi. He is properly respectful of a clan leader, and a man that can induce permanent impotency. How would you feel if Hiashi threatened to shut down your reproductive system, be it male or female? I'd wager you'd hate it.

Fourthly, what do you mean, replaced by Sasuke? To tell the truth, I do not like Sasuke as it is, but I needed a good way to keep him in the story besides Team Seven. Minato comes across in the Manga as a truly caring individual, one who would be willing to take care of a child in need. See also, how he went out himself to rescue poor little Hinata. Plus, he has had experience in training those with the Sharingan, as he would have had to help Kakashi master his new eye after the mission that he got the eye and lost his friend/partner Obito. Naruto will not meet Minato officially until much later in the story, and this is done on purpose. The minute they meet up, that will be pretty much the end of the story. So why do it now, when there is so much more I wish to do first?

Hope this clears things up for you. Try and remember that other people had different ideas than you do, and ask next time before accusing and belittling other people's work.

Merry Christmas!

~Ayumi

Ok, now HOW much of a nerd am I for correcting his grammar first? Seriously people, and he's STILL fighting me on this!

Chapter 14: Fresh Growth

* * *

The Kyuubi sighed as he rested a hand on Naruto's head. The little Hanyou was fast asleep in his lap, much like he used to do as a toddler. After the past few days, he couldn't blame the young man for wanting a little comfort from his Father.

He smiled at the thought. Father. The kid still wanted him as a father. His mind drifted back to the conversation from before.

_"Listen, Naruto. If you want to go to the village, look for your family, I won't hold it against you."_

_The little Hanyou shook his head after a second, fingers running through his hair. Areas were stained orange and red from blood that had gotten everywhere. "You, may not be my blood father, but you raised me all my life. That means more than just someone who might be dead now."_

_The fox's head tilted to the side. "Why the sudden change in heart, may I ask?"_

_"Just, something a friend told me."_

The fox held back a smile as he ran claws through wild yellow hair, gently pulling him more securely into his lap. Hefting him up into his arms, the Demon sighed as he walked the boy to his room, Hitodama setting out a futon for the young man. It was nice to be home, even if their departure from Wave had been tainted with both sadness and celebration. Celebration from Isonade having taken back his territory, but the sadness was Naruto's loss of a friend who never had a chance. Both the young man who had been lost at the bridge, and the little Hitodama that had been snuffed out by the overwhelming youki of both the Sanbi and the Kyuubi. The demon was proud as spit at the young Hanyou's first summoned spirit, and had assured the young man that he would be able to try again in a few days. It was still disheartening to the young man to have lost something he hadn't even known he wanted.

Giggling caught his ears, and the fox looked up in time to see Shukaku trying to sneak back into the house with Gaara . Ever since the incident with Naruto, the Tanuki had sworn to spend more time with his own charge, and at the moment, that involved harassing travelers coming to and from Konohagakure. For some reason, more than the usual amount of people were heading into the Hidden Village, and the pair were having a field day with them, especially those who appeared to be ninja.

Red eyes were skeptic as they took in the sight of the pair. Gently, he set Naruto down on his futon, the Hitodama placing a second one out for Gaara, who was yawning fit to hurt his jaw. "And where have you two been? It is well past the midnight hour," he rumbled softly, ruffling Gaara's hair as the boy plopped down on the futon.

The Tanuki grinned evilly as he squatted next to the futon's hands on his knees. He was dressed in his priestly disguise again, all of his markings covered up by cloth and youki-based illusions. He scowled for a second when the ginger's haori was thrown in his face, but sighed as the child wriggled under his comforter. "This kid," he offered, poking the yawning sand-child with a claw, "is a genius with pranks!" he exclaimed.

"Of course he is. He learned from Naruto who learned everything from me."

"No I mean really!"

The fox rolled his eyes as he turned to the red-head. "Alright, what did you do this time?"

A sleepy smile. "Gaara's been working on seals. Naruto's better, but I have my own." Evil grin now. "I switched all of the explosive tags with my pepper tags."

Kyuubi raised an eyebrow. "How did those two learn any of the sealing arts?" he asked, turning to the younger demon.

A sneer. "You, are nothing more than a walking natural disaster," he mocked, waltzing from the room. Annoyed, the fox walked after him, only for the raccoon to turn on him once on the porch. "The rest of the Bijuu don't have the same luxury as you and the Shichibi and Hachibi."

"You taught them."

"Just the basics," he shrugged. "That's all I learned before I was sealed. They picked out more from that Scroll they stole from the silver ninja."

"If Gaara was able to create a custom tag like that though, how good has Naruto gotten?"

"Something about costumes-on-the-go. Gaara said there's a handful in the forest around some of the smaller paths."

~...~...~...~

Minato struggled not to grin at the sight of the young men in front of his desk. It seems that the mononoke were back from where ever they had vanished after the incident with the Forbidden Scroll, and these ninja teams were the proof.

"I demand the names of whoever might have done this!" one yelled, paint flaking off of his face. The Suna-nin had been drenched in pink, with an orange swirl taking over his face. His team mates, a pair of women, one with a fan and a timid girl with a yellow bandanna around her throat, were clean behind him.

"I see that the spirits went easy on you."

Kankuro paused. "Spirits? Went easy?"

The Hokage reached over the desk and pulled a flake off the boy's cheek, holding it up to his eyes. "Water-based. The mononoke love to play with my ninja, and they tend to use permanent dyes and paints. As I said, they went easy on you." A grin, slightly melancholy. "They tend to target hair as well. Gave one of my top nin a bright-pink mohawk a few years ago." Bright blue eyes were twinkling as he leaned back in the chair. "So yet again, as I said, it or they went easy on you."

"Now you," and those brilliant eyes turned to the other stricken team, a serious looking troop from Hidden Grass as the Suna team exited, the eldest girl dragging her brother behind her. "This is a new look for the mononoke, I'll admit. Is it an illusion, or a full transformation?"

The sensei folded her arms under her chest. The gender of the squad was reversed from the normal dynamics. Instead of two boys, a girl, and a male Jounin, there was an abundance of estrogen within the grass-nin. The formerly-male genin seemed to be a trip and fall away from bursting into tears, but their once-female counterpart seemed bemused as she flexed her bulked-up arms.

"If it was just an illusion, we would have broken it by now," the older woman growled, resisting the urge to shift on her feet. She was a little better off than her younger students, only by the extra years in training as a ninja. Ink black hair fell back in a waterfall of silk, coarser than it had been while the Jounin had been male. This amused the Kusa-nin vaguely, but the lack of a certain part of his/her anatomy bypassed all possible amusement. "We checked the night of the incident. We can find no seals, or markings that might indicate a seal," she offered, waving a hand to indicate her and her team.

"Well, may I first ask what happened before this," he waved a hand helplessly, "this transpired?"

The Jounin pulled herself up into parade rest, hands behind her back. The Hokage may not be her village leader, but he was worthy of respect, especially if she wanted him to help her become a him again. Urg, too many pronouns, even if just only in her head.

"The time was well past the midnight hour when we set up base camp in the west by north-west area of the forest, an estimated three hours out from the gates of Konohagakure. My team were preparing to bed down for the night when Mebaemaru was ordered to fetch water from the nearby creek. Upon his attempt to leave the clearing, he tripped a wire that released a flurry of what must have been tags, which upon touching or grabbing these tags, resulted in the transformation you see before you." Her eyes were dark as she remembered the harmless looking scraps of paper drifting in the air, forcing the transformation of her and her team, how the ones that had not activated have simply released their built-in chakra when they hit the ground. "If this is a trick by Konoha to force my team to miss the exam, then you may be assured that Kusa will not stand for this injustice."

"No, I've never seen this type of trick before in my live!" Minato offered, shaking his head. "I can offer one of my experts on Genjutsu to look at you and your team, and I know that there is a seal master somewhere within the village. Probably doing more, research."

...~...~...

Jiraiya stifled a giggle as he peered through a knot in the wooden fence. The steam made it hard to see, but so many years had helped to hone his eyes into the sharpness of the hawk. Suddenly, he sneezed violently, and he grumbled as he rubbed his nose. "Someone must be talking about me," he muttered.

"How about now? Are we talking or hurting you?"

The old frog perv looked up sharply, only to pale at he towel-clad form of a trio of women, Anko, Tsume, and Yugao.

"eep."

~...~...~

Minato blinked as he suddenly felt proud of himself. He shrugged it off after a second though. He wrote down the address to Kurenai's training ground; no need to send them to her apartment. "The Genjutsu expert will be training here for the next few hours, Takeko-san. I suggest you go and have her look at your team while my people hunt down the master of seals."

He sighed a few minutes later as the quartet staggered out in varying forms of ease. He chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair; if that WAS a prank, it was one his wife would have been thrilled to have pulled off herself. And the paint-drenched young man from Suna was just more proof that the mononoke were as harmless as ever.

Minato was glad. He had kinda missed seeing what the spirits could do when they had gone missing for a few months. His only hope was that the Scroll of Seals could be found, or that when they couldn't use it, that the mononoke had destroyed it. Either way, he had his people on the lookout for any foreign ninja who suddenly knew any of the techniques from the scroll.

Especially the Nidaime's technique. He shuddered at the thought of that one. He had been too young to see it in action, but the thought of having to fight the dead scared the young Hokage.

The corners of his lips lifted as his thoughts drifted back to his wife. Even after thirteen years, he still missed her terribly even though he's had plenty of time to mourn her. The snatches of one of her favorite songs drifted past his lips. _"everyday, we started fighting, every night, we fell in love. No one else, could make me sadder, but no one else, could lift me high above..."_

He grinned as he summoned a trio of shadow clones to take over the paperwork, heading out to train for a while as he waited for Sasuke. _"Nowadays, I cannot find her, but when I do, we'll get a brand new start!"_ he sang before jumping out the window, ignoring the funny looks from his Kage Bunshin.

~...~...~...~

Gaara sighed as he sat on a tree branch near the road. His mind was troubled, even as he used his chakra to play with the sand he now carried in a series of small gourds around his waist. His control was good enough to create one large gourd out of sand, and with his large reserves he was able to hold it for the entire day. But when he had awoken the nest morning, he had found that his control wasn't good enough to hold while he slept yet. The gourd had fallen apart, flooding the small mansion with the densely packed sand. Shukaku had laughed. Kyuubi wasn't amused.

He nibbled at a nail, the sharp prick of a tiny claw scratching his lip. The claws were new, having started to form only a few weeks after their vacation to Wave. Of course, compared to everything else that had formed within the brothers, claws were not much to worry about. 'I'll panic if we start growing tails!' Naruto had declared after they had shown their developing weapons to the Bijuu. It was one of the few times both demons had laughed at the same thing. Then they had glared at each other and stormed off to different sides of the house.

_'Those people last night, they seemed so familiar,'_ he thought, worrying at the clawed nail. _'Why did I think I knew them?'_ he wondered. The humans that he and Shukaku had pranked last night had seemed familiar, so he had switched the paint from acrylic house paint to water-based finger paint. He didn't know that two of them had been his family, his brother and sister, because he had been too young to remember them when he had followed Shukaku across the desert and into the forest. Something in his heart though recognized them, and so he had gone easy on them.

Luckily for the boys, even though they had been pranking for days, they had missed the arrival of another familiar face. Familiar to Naruto and Kyuubi anyway. Orochimaru had remembered his encounter with the demon of the forest, and had studied everything he could find about the Tailed Beasts. He didn't know if any of the techniques he found would work, but he had been ready to try.

Gaara's musing was interrupted by the arrival of his brother, blue eyes bright as he crouched next to the sand child. "Gaara-kun, any clue what's happening in the village?" he asked, his own claws picking at the bark of the branch.

The younger child shook his head. "No clue. You have any idea?"

The blonde shook his head, scratching at the back of his head. "No,I was just thinking of going top ask Hinata if she knew anything. You up for that?" he asked.

The sand-child smirked as he stood, balancing easily on the thin branch. "Let's go!"

Naruto smirked, and then the world was quit as the pair disappeared, racing off towards the village.

Deep within the manor, a single chip fell off of Naruto's cup, unseen by any of the demons, and would remain unnoticed until it was too late.

* * *

Mebaemaru/Mebaeru = shoot, or bud.  
Takeko/Take no ko = A young sprig of bamboo

Cyber cookies if you can guess what Minato's singing.

A short update, but since you have been patient, I though I'd put it up before Otakon. If you want to say hi, I'll be Yuna on Friday, America on Saturday, and Deidara on Sunday. Hope to see you there! Next chapter, the start of the Chunnin exams!


	15. Snake in the Forest Part 1

Do to certain assholes, I am forced to disable anonymous reviews. I'm sorry if this inconvienances anyone, but I will not stand for someone to leave me four different flames all at once. If you're gonna flame me, don't be an ass. Do it properly, and sign in.

Disclaimer: I own only the plot. A few names and ages may be changed, but that is my prerogative.

Updating in Dulles National Airport! I'm gonna have a ton of time here and at JFK, so rejoice! This may be a double upload today. Maybe.

Chapter Fifteen: Snake in The Forest

* * *

Hinata panted as she pressed her back up against the massive tree trunk, eyes bulging as she held a kunai in trembling fingers. The exams had gone horribly wrong. Her eyes flicked down to her friends at her feet, two of them badly injured, the other pair comatose from chakra exshaustion. Her lips trembled, the heiress trying her best not to breakdown, as she scanned for the team that had attacked them. "Naruto-kun..."

~...~...~Twelve Hours Before~...~...~

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto called, searching the clearing they had always met up in. He and Gaara had made good time getting into the village, Naruto trying to see if he could summon a new Hitodama. Something in his breast seemed to tug every time he tried, as if the little spirit was caught on something. Kyuubi could have told him that it meant the spirit wasn't strong enough to be summoned yet, but the boy hadn't thought to ask. "Hinata-chan, you here?"

Sharp eyes glanced around the clearing, nose flaring as Gaara searched for a scent of their pale-eyed friend. Finally, he picked one up on a tree near to the edge of the village, but it was faint, as if she had only brushed against it. Still, it was enough for them to follow, except for one problem.

"We're not allowed to go into the village! We're gonna have to find her another way," Naruto argued when Gaara moved to enter the outskirts of the village.

Green eyes turned onto his brother, dull claws digging into a tree out of frustration. "Then how? This is the only lead we got at the moment," he barked, glancing back into the outskirts.

Only to pause at the sight of the silvery specter floating in front of his eyes. Over the years living with Shukaku and Kyuubi, he had learned that most ghosts tend to fade and move on after a few months, two years at the most. This was because the ones he had had contact with in the forest and desert were the ghosts of men and women who had died as active Ninja. The training they underwent to increase their spiritual energy meant that even after death, they were trying to use it, and as such, drained themselves to the point of moving on. The higher the rank, the faster they tended to fade. Hinata's mother however, had retired as a Ninja when she had given birth to Hinata herself, and had not been active for years when she died bringing Hanabi into the world. Because of this, she was still mostly corporal even now as she tried to direct the sand-child, her voice little more than a soft sigh upon the wind.

Shukaku had been worried when Gaara had described the woman, fearful for the boy when he said she had died in childbirth. It was common for such deaths to warp the soul and change them into vengeful specters, but when the Hyuuga woman stayed gentle, he only warned the boys not to accept anything physical from her or female ghosts like her. In the honor of the woman, the boys had developed a genjustu that described the affects the Bijuu had warned them of.

The few travelers they had tried it on, had taught them that this one was very effective.

The woman pointed into the forest around the outskirts of the village, a slightly urgent look on her see-through face. _"... heading...into T...ing Gro...44."_ Gaara barely managed to catch what the woman was saying, her voice almost literally being carried away by the wind. But he got enough of the message to understand about where their friend was. Grabbing Naruto's sleeve, he pulled him after him, following the specter into the training areas.

It was half an hour's work to get to the right training ground area. They would have gotten there faster but for the need to hide from the Ninja using the other fields. The sight of the elements rising up to clash and scorch and drown the world around them was visually impressive, and the way they fought each other was enough to reinforce Kyuubi's warnings about staying out of sight. Luckily for the boys, it was easy enough to stay out of sight, tree and water and shadow working together to shield them from human eyes, and the different grounds were clearly labeled, so they knew they were heading in the right direction.

Training Ground 44 was a fenced in area, a massive old-growth forest that seemed to breathe darkness. This would scare most normal children, ninja or not, but the boys grinned at each other as they scaled a tree to jump over the electrified fence. Nothing could be compared to the little patch of forest the Kyuubi and Shukakau had poisoned with darkness and malice for their training. This would be a walk in the park for them. Of course, they had no idea that they were in the middle of a Chunnin Exam, that they were about to be surrounded by multiple teams from different villages that would only see them as targets. They just wanted to see their friend.

The tree tops seemed to absorb the light that struggled to break through to the ground, monstrously over-sized insects lurked through the roots and leaves, and the atmosphere was dark, oppressive and cloying in it's malice.

"Feels almost like training with 'Tousan," Naruto muttered, waltzing through the undergrowth.

"Gaara - I wonder, if there was another Bijuu around here at some point," Gaara offered, stumbling over his name for a second before recovering. Naruto nodded at the question, mentally 'tugging' at the ball of energy in his chest. He was anxious to summon the little flame again, and he had started trying to retrieve it form his own wellspring of youki every few minutes. The trouble was, that Ninja are very sensitive to the chakra of others, and the subtle flares of youki were teasing the senses of the surrounding teams.

He shrugged after a minute. "Well, this used to be part of Kyuu-tousan's territory before the village was founded," he said in a matter of fact tone. He'd been reading the old scrolls in the store room in moments of complete boredom. "Chances are pro'lly good that he fought one o' the other Bijuu here at some point."

"Wish we could figure out whom."

A blue eye drifted over the form of a giant, acidic slug. "I'm tempted to say the Shichibi, judging by the interesting fauna around here," he muttered, claws flexing when a large snake turned its golden eye on them for a minute. "Remember the bedtime stories Shukaku used to tell us?"

He grinned. "The ones about the other demons in the world, or the ones he'd tell when Kyuu-tousan wasn't around?"

"Urg, naked people. I'm thinking of the poisons the Shichibi is supposed to have."

Gaara nodded, teeth flashing at the same snake, trying to discourage it from following anymore. "Yeah, that would make sense. Now come on! I want to find Hinata-chan, this place is rather creepy."

Naruto nodded, but stayed Gaara's hand when one of the gourds around his waist started hissing. "Save that," he offered before putting his hands up in the t-shaped seal. With a poof of smoke, thirty clones appeared, before changing into animal shapes and racing into the forest.

"You're getting better at that," the sand-child offered as he and his brother took to the tree tops. "Last time you tried doing it quietly, you got fifty of them."

"It just takes practice," Naruto chirped, eyes going out of focus as one was popped very quickly. One of the cat-shaped clones had run into another Konoha team, and the paranoid genin had attacked it out of fear. It wasn't Hinata's team though, so he ignored it outside of marking where they were in the forest. A handful of other clones suddenly popped voluntarily, and the young man was suddenly nervous. "Gaara? There're a lotta people in the forest."

"How many?"

The blond gave his brother a look as another clone dissipated, this one attacked like the first one had been. "I got fifteen teams, three each. And that's just what I've seen already." Pronouns had a tendency to became quite flexible with Naruto. His eyes crossed for a split second as yet another popped, but this time they had hit paydirt. "Make it sixteen teams, I just found Hinata."

Gaara gave him a nervous look. "Are you sure we should go? It may be dangerous with so many other people in this forest."

But Naruto shook his head as he stood from his perch on the massive roots of an even larger tree. "I know where they all are, we'll do fine!" he chirped, pretending to have no fear as he motioned for Gaara to follow him. The red head still wasn't completely sure, but he liked the idea of separating from his pseudo brother even less.

The race through the trees was more hazardous than the pair realized. Naruto had only found sixteen out of twenty teams. And he completely missed the proctors that were near the gates. But they were aware of Naruto, sensing him every time he flexed his youki to try and re-summon his little Hitodama. The proctors weren't the only ones who sensed him though. A snake within the forest was a bigger concern to the pair. A snake that had run into demons before. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed behind his disguise, but he didn't move to intercept. The Uchiha was more important in his eyes. that didn't mean that he didn't keep an 'eye' on the chakra signal though, so to speak. _'And if they come near me, I'll be ready this time.'_ he thought, hand ghosting to one of the pockets on his vest.

Over in another corner of the forest, Hinata was panting, but pleased with herself as she pocketed the Earth Scroll her team had just taken from a grass team. Funnily enough, one had tried to use a exploding tag against them but instead of a fiery explosion that would delight any young boy, it had only produced a large poof of pepper. True though, it had induced a sneezing fit in Kiba and Akamaru, but the Kusa Team had been so surprised that Hinata and Shino had been able to take them out quite easily.

Hinata's pale eyes suddenly picked up a chakra signature, and very familiar one, and she turned in time to see a squirrel chittering at her before it disappeared in a poof of smoke. Normally, this would worry her, but the chakra coming from it was very familiar, and she relaxed as her team mates composed themselves. _'Naruto, what are you doing in this forest?'_ she wondered fondly, never knowing that the next ten hours would be the start of her descent into Hell. Never knowing that the fight between Orochimaru and Sasuke would be the fans to the flames of War.

* * *

Ubume no Genjutsu: Mother Demon/Ghost Illusion.

An Ubume is a ghost of a woman who has died in childbirth. They will weep and beg for you to take their child for a moment, and as soon as you do, she disappears, and the child, now stuck to you, gains weight until it crushes you.


	16. Snake in the Forest Part 2

Ok, so JFK didn't have internet, so I had plenty of time to write. Kinda sucks, do what can you do?

Sorry again! Germany has been a lot of fun, but I've been so busy.

Chapter Sixteen: Snake in The Forest. Part 2

* * *

Blue eyes were bright as Naruto and Gaara reached their friend. "Now what?" Gaara whispered, poking the blond next to him.

Naruto nodded at this. Hinata was with her team, and the pair didn't really want to introduce themselves to the other Ninja. They were fine with the young Hyuuga, and she with them, but that was mostly because they had met each other before they were old enough to be suspicious of strangers. Kiba and Shino on the other hand, would have too many questions that the hanyou pair would be unable to answer.

The blond shrugged after a second, before picking an acorn from their perch and chucking it at the young woman. Only to wince. He'd thrown it far too hard! Hinata flinched as it hit the back of her head, uttering a soft 'ouch' as she ran a hand through her hair, soothing the tiny hurt. She turned tho look and see where the nut had come from, only to grin at the familiar sight of eyes glowing in the shadows of the trees. "Shi-Shino-kun, I have to use the b-bushes for a moment," she offered softly, turning to her only composed team mate. Kiba was still sneezing his fool head off. The other boy nodded to her, letting her know he'd keep an ear open in case she got in trouble.

The first thing she did once she was in the foliage was pull the pair into a hug, happy to see them after so many months. Well, see them safe and in one piece, that is. She had seen Naruto back in Wave, but they didn't have the time them to talk. "W-where have y-you two b-been?" she asked, pulling back to look them other thoroughly. The first thing she noticed was the developing slits in their eyes, then the delicate points of their soon to be claws. But she did not fear these changes in them, she could tell that these were still the boys she'd befriended so many years ago. The shape of Naruto's pupils didn't hide the happiness in his eyes at seeing her, and the claws tipping Gaara's hands didn't make him any less gentle as he hugged her.

The pair smiled at her, only for Gaara to turn away first, sharp eyes scanning the foliage for trouble. The red head had always been more sensitive as a sensor than Naruto ever could be, so he took the job of a scout. "Well, we went on vacation. We went to see our San-jisan," Naruto offered, voice low to keep Shino or Kiba from hearing him. "You might have seen him? The blue man who was walking on water?" He nodded as her eyes went wide in amazement. "He was looking for me, and he ran into the fat man while there."

"W-what did he have against Gatou?"

"Well, San-ji is basically in charge of the waters of the sea over in that area, including those islands," Gaara offered, eyes still scanning even as he talked with his friends. "That man was hurting the people of the island, so when he had a chance, he took him out."

"Then, w-what w-was that giant turtle thing?"she asked, voice a touch squeaky as she remembered how big and terrifying the creature had been.

"It was, eeer-"

"Family pet." Naruto grinned at the proclamation. That'll work!

Or not so much. "Family pet?"

Gaara to the rescue! "Look how big things are growing in this forest," he offered, waving a graceful hand at the foliage around them. As if summoned, a slug the size of a barn slithered by at that moment, and Hinata had to concede the point. "Speaking of the forest, why are you in here?"

"Yeah! And why are so many other people in here too! We can handle it, but I don' think many others can," Naruto chirped.

Hinata bit her lower lip as she looked around as well, hands twisting together in worry. "I-it's a t-test," she stuttered, only to eep at the stern look from both boys. They'd been helping her to stop the stuttering, and look at what happens when they go on vacation. The young woman took a deep breath in order to steady her nerves and hopefully keep from tripping over her own tongue. "We have to get a scroll from other teams, a-and if we have both Earth and Heaven, we c-can get to the safety of the tower."

The pair gave her a curious look. "So, you take a scroll, you pass, and the team to take it from doesn't," Naruto said, mischief starting to rise in his eyes.

Gaara was only a step behind him. "So, if you have scrolls more now, then you will have less competition later?"

"We'll be back in a bit!"

"Bu- wait!" Too late though, the boys had already vanished into the forest, only a pair of falling leaves marking their passing.

"Oi! Hinata, did you fall in or something?" She didn't have the time to waste worrying for them. She pulled a fresh kunai from her thigh pouch, ready to dive back into the exam. Her friends would just have to take care of themselves.

~~~...~~~...~~~...~~~

"Please, help me!"

The young Iwa-nin perked up at the plaintive sound. His team had been the only one from Iwagakure to enter, and they had been lucky to have gotten this far. He'd been ready to quit for his team back during the paper test, right up until the boy with the dog had yelled at the proctor, giving courage back to the teams that were still there. His team wasn't having any luck finding someone with a scroll; maybe their luck was about to change?

He peered around one of the massive trees, (And seriously, why did Konoha had to have such a hard on for trees?) only to pause at the sight before him. One of the young women who had entered the test must have been using Genjutsu to hide a pregnancy, because there she was, blood soaking her thighs, and a wrinkled red thing in her arms that had to be a newborn. She turned her tear-soaked face up to him, sweat-drenched hair sticking to her neck in black clumps as she held out her arms. "Please, help me."

Slowly, the young man held out his own arms, letting the young woman transfer the child into them, only for him to smirk as he straightened, pulling out a kunai. "Hand over any scro-" He stopped. The girl was gone! But, the baby was still here, so where did she go? He frowned as he shifted the child in his arms, it was already growing heavy, as he looked for the lying bitch. Only for him to blink as the baby became noticably heavier! He tried to drop it, only to find that he couldn't let go. He couldn't even move his arms! He panicked, breath coming faster as he collapsed to his knees, straining his back to try and stay upright. With a yelp, he lost his balance and fell backwards, the child lying across his chest, and the last thing he knew before passing out from lack of air, was the evil little chuckle coming from the wrinkled bundle.

Naruto grinned as he and Gaara jumped down from the tree, releasing the Genjutsu. "This one was worth the time it took to create it!" Gaara offered as Naruto rifled through the boy's pockets, pulling out a scroll with 'Heaven' printed on the front.

"I know! That's the third guy we managed to trick with that illusion," Naruto chirped, the scroll added to the other pair already in his haori. "That makes two Heaven, and an Earth."

Gaara nodded, pushing the boy over onto his face. "And we know about sixteen teams, and since every team needs two scrolls, and we just took out one full set and half of another, that's only six teams at the end at the most. Maybe even less!" The pair still didn't know that there was still four other teams they hadn't seen yet, but they were still very proud of the fact that they had helped Hinata out. The plan now, as the boys took back to the trees, was to return to the girl and follow her as she and her team headed for the tower in the middle of the forest. It was with a pair of happy grins that the boys homed in on the familiar Chakra of their friend, laughing at their own cleverness as they vaulted and swung through the thick tree tops.

They were almost back, when they ran into the snake.

This was no normal snake though, not even a large, man-eating snake like the ones that they had seen in the forest already. This was a creature that could eat the Kyuubi's home and come back for seconds. This was a reptile that made other reptiles hiss vows that they would eat more to try and pump up their slithering muscles in a vain attempt to look more impressive, but knew they would never truly compare. And it was this animal that was sent into the forest in order to watch for certain Chakra signatures; The Uchiha, the Hyuuga, or anything with youki. And both boys were heavily saturated with demonic Chakra.

"Run!" The first thing to pop out of Gaara's mouth, but it was an apt command; The boys dashed off, only for Naruto to yelp as the snake focused on him. With a twist of the long graceful neck and a snap of those jaws, Gaara was suddenly alone in the forest. Naruto had been eaten.

In another life, Gaara may have not cared in the slightest that the blond was gone. In another life, he would have possibly sand-crushed the snake just because he could. But the pair had been raised together since they were five. Even with his real family somewhere in the forest, (not that he truly remembered them as such,) Naruto was more his family than they ever had been and now, ever could be. Sea green eyes went wide, slotted pupils contracting for only half a second before he launched himself at the beast, kunai in hand, sand swirling and dancing around him as he unconsciously controlled it in his rage. "GIVE ME MY BROTHER BACK!" he screamed as he landed on the reptile's rough scales, metal and sand gouging and rending at flesh.

Only for the young man to blink at the sudden swelling and bulging in the creature's middle, and for it to give out a hiss of pain before disappearing in a large poof of smoke. And there was Naruto, swaying on his feet, body slicked with blood and stomach acid from the innards. "Never. Again." he groaned dodging to the side right as a final Shadow Clone fell to the ground, popping the second it hit the dirt.

"Naruto!" Gaara yelped, pulling he young man in for a hug, ignoring the slime his brother was drenched in. "Thank all the kami you're alright," he murmured into a nasty shoulder.

"I'm fine bro, I promise." A rueful smile as the blond pulled at his haori. "I'm just in desperate need of a bath."

The sand child chuckled, only to stiffen as he stared at something over Naruto's shoulder. "I do not think you will have time for that aniki," he offered quietly, backing up a few steps, grains of sand starting to dance around him again. Naruto spun around at the look in his brother's eyes, hands arching into claws as he scanned the forest for the target.

It had been years, but the man was still familiar to the young hanyou. An evil grin threatened to split his face at the sight of long, silky black hair, but he refrained at the sight of the bundle slung over the man's shoulder. He was out cold, but the boys could recognize him as the ninja from their Vacation, the Uchiha.

Orochimaru sneered, tongue lolling out of his mouth for a second before slipping back in. "Well well, I see my pet found me new animals to play with," he hissed, hand drifting down to a pouch strapped to his thigh. His eyes narrowed as he pulled a scroll out, the kanji proclaiming _'Purify the Darkness'_ printed on the side. "I will enjoy killing you."

* * *

Ubume no Genjutsu: Mother Demon/Ghost Illusion.

An Ubume is a ghost of a woman who has died in childbirth. They will weep and beg for you to take their child for a moment, and as soon as you do, she disappears, and the child, now stuck to you, gains weight until it crushes you.

Next chapter will be the big show down!


End file.
